What is Ransomware and How Do I Detect It?
Learn about Ransomware and how to protect precious data
As greater proportions of our lives take place online, it is important to take the necessary precautions to protect our precious data. Both individuals and businesses can become victims of a cyberattack.
Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents you from accessing computer files by demanding a ransom payment for their return. It causes costly problems for operations and the loss of valuable information.
Ransomware can strike at any time, whether from home or a professional network. All PCs and networks are at risk of becoming infected. Today, it is important to be vigilant when opening email, clicking things on websites, and always be careful to whom you grant access to your devices.
How does ransomware infect my device?
Always be aware when surfing the internet. Ransomware could be hiding behind unfamiliar, suspicious, or fake websites. Hackers are incredibly sneaky and are becoming increasingly sophisticated with their attacks. Do not think for a minute that they will not care about your small business. Hackers want to gain access to every website regardless of the size.
Never open unexpected file attachments or links from people you do not recognize.
Is it detectable?
You will be able to spot suspicious emails or web pages as they tend to have poor spelling and grammar. Keep an eye out for strange spellings of company names, unusual spacing, or punctuation.
Never open anything suspicious, even if it is from a sender that you may recognize. If the email subject line does not look right to you or is threatening in some way or claims to be time-sensitive, it may be a scam. Scammers increasingly target users with names and websites that you may use like Amazon or your bank. One way to see if something is legitimate is to call the institution directly if you are not sure and have them check to see if there is a problem with your account. Another way is to log in yourself to your online account to see if you have any messages from them there.
How can I avoid a ransomware attack?
The FBI offers tips for avoiding infection:
- Keep OS, software, and applications up to date.
- Make sure anti-virus software is set to update automatically and run regular scans.
- Back up-up data completely and secure them. Make sure they are independent of the networks they are backing up.
- Create a contingency plan for if you or your business become a victim of a ransomware attack.
My system is under attack, can I recover?
The short answer is yes, but ransomware attacks can be very costly to a business. Today damages caused by cybercrime like ransomware are projected to double from the onslaught of COVID19. The Official Cybercrime Report published by Cybersecurity Ventures; cybercrime cost the world six trillion dollars in 2021. That number has doubled from 2015.
Cybercrimes like ransomware attacks are not going away. It is important for your business to have clear plans to prevent attacks from happening. You will also need a plan to recover if they do.
Seifert Technologies can help you and your team create the best practices for your business. As Microsoft Gold Partners we want to help you deploy all the safety measures for your technology to protect you from the worst-case scenarios.
You can recover. Here is how:
Cyberattacks are one of the worst-case scenarios that you or your business can face and recovery might seem impossible. Having a recovery plan will be vital for retrieving stolen data.
First, find the corrupt file.
Remove these files from all devices. While this sounds simple, often corrupt files can live in your system for weeks and even months before they are triggered to attack your computer by cybercriminals. It is important to have a professional company like Seifert Technologies scan your systems, identify, and remove the corrupted files, and monitor to make sure that there is nothing that can come back to launch a future attack.
Determine the attack style.
Determine whether the ransomware is screen-locking or encryption-based. Data recovery is possible through web-based software or a ransomware decryption tool. However, we do not recommend that you try to do this yourself. You need to make sure before you begin any countermeasure that you have a recovery plan in place. If you do not have a recovery plan Seifert Technologies team of experts can help.
Disconnect all devices.
Limit the spread of the effects of ransomware by disconnecting any vulnerable device from the network. This includes any cell phones that are using apps to access your systems. As hackers continue to become more sophisticated, they target more than just your desktops and servers, they can also target personal devices such as tablets, phones, and laptops that have access to your mail, website, and software from external sources.
Seek guidance from malware experts.
It is important to report any type of ransomware or cyber-attack to the authorities. It is also important to immediately notify your IT service provider. If you do not have an IT service provider, Seifert Technologies would be happy to meet with you to discuss your options for maintaining your IT support, systems, and software. We can also help you with recovery plans and prevention.
Restore file systems.
Carefully recover lost data using backups but remember that ransomware might have been lurking as long as 6 months before the attack. It is best to run anti-virus on all systems before restoring.
Click here to learn how to recover files using OneDrive.New Paragraph
“Just pay the ransom” and other ransomware myths.
Being well informed is perhaps one of the best protections from ransomware and malware in general.
Read on to learn more about the most common misconceptions about ransomware.
Myth 1: Sometimes, it makes more sense to pay the ransom.
Many individuals and companies reported that their data was never returned. A 2021 report says that only about 8 percent of ransomware victims actually retrieved all their data by paying the ransom. Twenty-nine percent were able to recover over half of their data.
Myth 2: Ransomware attacks are rare.
The truth is, we do not know the exact number of ransomware attacks that occur on a yearly basis. Since it can be so profitable, it is safe to assume that it can happen to anyone. Unlike the breach of personal information, ransomware attacks are not required to be reported. Thus, the number of cyber-attacks is grossly undercounted.
Myth 3: Two-factor authentication stops ransomware in its tracks.
Ransomware can strike in our inbox, or on an unfamiliar website. It is important to be suspicious of emails with improper grammar and spelling as well as fraudulent websites.
Most importantly do not go through this alone. Your business data is too important to risk the outcome. In fact, up to 60 percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a data breach or cyber-attack. You cannot afford to get it wrong. Contact Seifert Technologies today to get started.
