Ransomware don’t discriminate between good guys and bad guys. Two Ontario-based non profit organization are the latest victims of a ransomware. In order to fight these kind of threats,we must first know the details regarding this ransomware.
For the record, there were more than 7600 ransomware attacks reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) between 2005 and March of last year, outnumbering the just over 600 data breaches reported during the same time period. It was reported last 2015 that IC3 received 2,453 ransomware complaints that cost victims over $1.6million.
Ransomware, classified as Trojan virus, are type of cyberware that is designed to extort money from a victim. Often, Ransomware will demand a payment in order to undo changes that has made to the victim’s computer.
Common Behaviors of Ransomware:
- encrypting data that is stored on the victim’s disk, so the victim can no longer access the information
- blocking normal access to the victim’s system
- attacking the victim via phishing emails
- striking when the victim visited a website that contains a malicious program
Once the Trojan has been installed, it will either encrypt information that’s stored on the victim’s computer or block the computer from running normally- while also leaving a ransom message that demands the payment of a fee, in order to decrypt the files or restore the system. In most cases, the message will appear when the user restarts their computer after the infection has taken place.
Computer experts believe that hackers behind these ransomware rarely know the companies they’re attacking. They use automated tools that search the internet for weak entry points, grab whatever money they can and move on.
How to protect your systems
A simple yet very effective way to protect your computer systems is by being educated. It is said, prevention is better than cure. So, for you to avoid being the victim of these ransomware, follow these simple guide in protecting your systems:
- Have a computer internet security installed into your computer and to your network.
- Avoid opening emails from unknown senders.
- Refrain from visiting sites that are not secured.
- Have a regular backup of your important data.
Always remember that as the companies get better at cybersecurity, and opportunities for random attacks diminish, expect the attacks to become more targeted and ransom amounts demanded to increase. Protecting your systems and network is a continuous battle.