Majority of companies nowadays, big or small, use systems and technology to run their businesses. There are a lot of advantages to using computer systems and other technologies in running a business. Creating, storing, and sharing data is much easier, more organized, and faster this way. However, like what all technologies have, there are still a lot of problems and risks that are present, like viruses and the risk of the system being breached, like a ransomware attack. No matter how advanced or latest your computer may be, risks like these will always be present. In this article, we will talk about ransomware attacks and how to prevent them.
What is a ransomware attack?
From the keyword “ransom,” a ransomware attack is basically a security breach that asks for money in return for access to your files, thus ransom. There are a lot of ways ransomware attack happens. It can be through phishing emails, malicious sites, and downloads. There is malware attached to those emails, sites, and downloads, so it goes into the system. All your files then get locked. The hacker asks for money in return for access to those files, thus holding your files hostage to get ransom money. There are other ways malware is spread, like social network spam, connection to public wifi, and Remote Desktop Protocol. That’s why it is very important not to just connect to unknown wifis and systems and download free and malicious stuff like movies, music, and even photos.
How to prevent your computer system from getting infected with malware- ransomware attacks?
Never click on unknown and malicious links.
Never click on unknown or malicious links, no matter where you get them from. Whether from spam messages or malicious or unknown websites. If the site you are on is infected with malware, an automatic download will happen, which can get your computer system infected.
Never open malicious emails.
If you open a malicious or unknown email, you will be at risk of opening a phishing email. A phishing email is a type of online scam that sends an email appearing to be from a reliable source. An example of this would be an email from the bank saying that their account has been compromised and that they need the user’s credit card information to keep the account active. You can spot phishing emails if they have unfamiliar and weird greetings, grammatical errors, or misspelled words and if the email involves asking for important information or the transfer of funds.
Never use unknown physical storage devices.
Another way malware can come from is from infected flash drives, HDDs, SSds, and other physical storage devices. Cybercriminals put infected drives in public areas so that if someone needs them, they can use them without knowing that it is infected with malware.
Never disclose personal information.
Never disclose your personal information, no matter who asks in whatever manner. So if you receive an email or a text message saying that you need to give your credit card details or phone number or whatever sensitive information it is, do not give it. If you receive emails or messages like this, do not reply and just block them.
Use the 3 2 1 rule
Use the 3 2 1 backup rule. For three, you must create one primary backup and then two copies of the data. Two, save the backups into two different types of media. Then, keep at least one backup file in physical form or offsite. Following this rule assures you that your data is backed up in different ways and in different places. So if one gets corrupted or lost, you have other backups you can use.
Majority of companies nowadays, big or small, use systems and technology to run their businesses. There are a lot of advantages to using computer systems and other technologies in running a business. Creating, storing, and sharing data is much easier, more organized, and faster this way. However, like what all technologies have, there are still a lot of problems and risks that are present, like viruses and the risk of the system being breached, like a ransomware attack. No matter how advanced or latest your computer may be, risks like these will always be present. In this article, we will talk about ransomware attacks and how to prevent them.
What is a ransomware attack?
From the keyword “ransom,” a ransomware attack is basically a security breach that asks for money in return for access to your files, thus ransom. There are a lot of ways ransomware attack happens. It can be through phishing emails, malicious sites, and downloads. There is malware attached to those emails, sites, and downloads, so it goes into the system. All your files then get locked. The hacker asks for money in return for access to those files, thus holding your files hostage to get ransom money. There are other ways malware is spread, like social network spam, connection to public wifi, and Remote Desktop Protocol. That’s why it is very important not to just connect to unknown wifis and systems and download free and malicious stuff like movies, music, and even photos.
How to prevent your computer system from getting infected with malware- ransomware attacks?
Never click on unknown and malicious links.
Never click on unknown or malicious links, no matter where you get them from. Whether from spam messages or malicious or unknown websites. If the site you are on is infected with malware, an automatic download will happen, which can get your computer system infected.
Never open malicious emails.
If you open a malicious or unknown email, you will be at risk of opening a phishing email. A phishing email is a type of online scam that sends an email appearing to be from a reliable source. An example of this would be an email from the bank saying that their account has been compromised and that they need the user’s credit card information to keep the account active. You can spot phishing emails if they have unfamiliar and weird greetings, grammatical errors, or misspelled words and if the email involves asking for important information or the transfer of funds.
Never use unknown physical storage devices.
Another way malware can come from is from infected flash drives, HDDs, SSds, and other physical storage devices. Cybercriminals put infected drives in public areas so that if someone needs them, they can use them without knowing that it is infected with malware.
Never disclose personal information.
Never disclose your personal information, no matter who asks in whatever manner. So if you receive an email or a text message saying that you need to give your credit card details or phone number or whatever sensitive information it is, do not give it. If you receive emails or messages like this, do not reply and just block them.
Use the 3 2 1 rule
Use the 3 2 1 backup rule. For three, you must create one primary backup and then two copies of the data. Two, save the backups into two different types of media. Then, keep at least one backup file in physical form or offsite. Following this rule assures you that your data is backed up in different ways and in different places. So if one gets corrupted or lost, you have other backups you can use.
