Friday, February 28, 2020

Ransomeware attacks

Ransomware is a type of malware that data on a victim's computer is often locked by encryption. Payment is requested before the affected data is decrypted and the access to the victim is returned. Ransomware attacks are almost always related to money, and unlike other types of attacks, the victim is often notified in the event of an attack and learns the instructions to follow to get rid of the attack. Usually, payments are requested to be made with cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, so that the identity of the cyber criminal is unknown.

So is ransomware a virus? No! Viruses can infect and reproduce in your files or software. However, the ransomware scrambles your files to make them unusable and demands payment. Both can be removed with virus protection software, but if your files are encrypted, you won't be able to get them back.

Why should businesses worry about ransomware?

Ransomware damages your business. Failure to access your own files for a day due to malware causes your income to be negatively affected. Ransomware attacks can often leave victims offline for at least a week, sometimes months, and cause serious losses. Systems stay offline for so long, not only because ransomware locks systems, but also because of all the effort required to clean and restore networks. And this business will not only cause financial short-term losses; In addition, consumers are afraid to give their data to institutions that they think are not safe and to work with those brands.

How ransomware gets into your computer

Social Engineering: A term used to trick people into downloading malware with a fake attachment or link. Malicious files are often hidden as ordinary documents (order confirmations, receipts, invoices, notifications) and appear to have been sent by a reputable company or organization. Trying to download or open one of these on your computer is enough to be affected by ransomware.

Malware: These are paid advertisements that cause ransomware , spyware, viruses, and other bad things at the click of a button . Hackers can buy advertising space on popular websites and even social media networks to capture your data.

Exploit Kits  : These are pre-written codes placed in ready-to-use hacking tool. These kits are designed to exploit vulnerabilities caused by legacy software.

Drive-by Downloads: These are dangerous files that are downloaded to your computer when you don't want to. Some malicious websites use outdated browsers or apps to silently download malicious software in the background while you browse an innocent website or watch a video.

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