Ransomware Attack - This Is Behind Blackmail Software | Antivirus

What is ransomware and what should you do if you are a victim of a ransomware attack? Here's how you can protect yourself using Protegent360's antivirus:

What Is Ransomware?

The term ransomware is a special type of malware that is usually placed on computers with a social engineering attack and an associated malicious program. As soon as the malicious program has found access, it systematically begins to encrypt the files on the computer. The same applies to all stored network accesses of the device. As soon as the user wants to access the now encrypted data, this is blocked. If you now look into the corresponding file directory, the only accessible file is a document with instructions on a “scheduled ransom payment” to buy back your files.

Whether the shipping company Maersk, smaller medium-sized companies in Swabia or Münsterland or the city administration of Dettelbach in Upper Franconia, extortion software (so-called ransomware) systematically paralyzed municipal and commercial structures on a large scale in 2019 and remains an urgent topic in 2020. According to a study commissioned by SentinelOne, Germany is the front runner in Europe: three out of four of the companies surveyed have already been affected. An average damage volume of almost € 750,000 per company is assumed.

Robber Knighthood in Cyber Guise - One Attack Every 40 Seconds

The criminal business model that grew out of ransomware is extremely lucrative. A real cyber mafia has established itself, which specifically selects and attacks authorities and companies for their professional raids. Worldwide, a company is attacked every 40 seconds. It is assumed that this method resulted in losses of 4.7 billion euros worldwide in 2019 alone.

Employees as Gateways

The number one cause in the study is the ignorance and negligence of employees. This makes up around half of the new infections with blackmail software. " This is supported by the fact that phishing via e-mail or social media was cited as the most common gateway for cyber extortionists with 76 percent [...]." Other reasons for the high damage are insufficient back-ups and poorly updated operating systems. 41% of the companies surveyed in the above-mentioned study state that they now want to focus specifically on increased protection against blackmail software.

What to Do as A Victim of A Ransomware Attack?

If you are the victim of a ransomware attack, the police advise you to do the following:

1. Under no circumstances pay the ransom
2. Document the incident precisely (do not delete any e-mails, take screenshots)
3. File a complaint immediately

Further, on the site of the police evidence was given for relief and damage inventory.

What Protects Against Ransomware

Protegent360's antivirus tests sensitize and trains your employees in the correct handling of ransomware. Would you like to know how vulnerable your organization is to such attacks? Would you like to see what a targeted attack on your company would look like? And would you like to train your employees in the correct handling of cyber risks with a modern, easy-to-use SaaS tool and simulated attacks? Then request a non-binding test runs from Protegent360 now and receives initial transparency about how vulnerable your organization is in this area.