Don’t let Ransomware catch you out!
Many people and businesses think that just because they have security software the Ransomware virus won’t catch them out.
I was also one of these people until a few days before Christmas when I turned on my laptop to find that all my files had been encrypted on my Toshiba laptop.
In July 2016, Lifehacker Australia reported that over 224,000 Ransomware Attacks Occurred In Australia Over A Two-Month Period.
In April and May 2016 over 213,000 ransomware attacks were a result of the Angler exploit kit. One of the reasons why Angler is such a popular exploit kit is because it requires little technical expertise.
From the Trend Microdata, 64% of ransomware threats were from email attacks, usually distributed as a macro or email document or a clickable link that leads to a downloadable file.
I couldn’t understand how someone had managed to override the Windows Defender software? I was livid to think that someone had got into my computer and wanted to hold me to ransom.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is when someone encrypts all of your files, and they tell you to go to their secret server and charge you to regain access to your all-important saved documents.
Luckily for me, I never had many files on my machine, and I was still able to access some of my work on the cloud. However, I did lose some relevant certificates from the courses I completed. I saved them as PDF’S, and I never backed up any of my files. I also lost some of my social media and blog calendar, which I’m currently planning again.
What will I do to stop Ransomware from getting to my computer again?
I’m unsure how the Ransomware got into the machine and where it came from. There were a lot of Skype files in the junk box, and I was guilty of leaving Skype open on my computer as soon as the machine booted up. I was working so much over the past month, between 8 am and 12 pm to try and earn some extra cash for Christmas.
The virus looks to have happened after 11 p.m when my machines would usually be switched off.
I’ve just purchased an external drive, and I will be backing up all my data every day, and I’m also increasing my C Cleaner security package by going for a better version. Yes, it might be more expensive, and it will add more time to my day. But I can’t take the chance, and I would prefer to have everything secure and backed up than lose my clients or my important private work and information.
I will be reloading Skype on my computer, but I will not be setting it to load up every time I’m on my computer. I will only log in when I’m on a call.
Have you ever had a Ransomware virus? Comment below or tweet @DigitalClassic to join in the discussions on Twitter.
