Following the rise of mobile malware, there are different types of malware, all which are fluctuating differently. Ransomware is the most common currently, which is what will hold your entire data hostage once you have been a victim of the malware attack. This works by encoding data from your computer and then using unidentified payment methods, which requests money for it to be returned. Although this is not an old method of hacking, as this has been used with the first Trojan viruses for PC’s, they are now becoming increasingly common with the last quarter being the highest ever at 130,000.
The impact of Ransomware is hard-hitting, which is why it needs to be reduced. Not only can it leave your PC being unusable, it is instant and can mean the loss of many sentimental values such as photographs, data and memories. However, although it is not great from a personal perspective, for businesses it is even worse as the malware can encrypt all the data that a victim has write-access to on a corporate network.
The questions then arise of how can we tackle this? Although we can be more cautious, and becoming more knowledgeable at recognising these file types and links in emails, we also need to make sure we always have back ups. We have to live each day, thinking that this information could be lost, and so it is key to protecting yourself by having a different storage place for your data.
Here are some tips for protecting yourself:
• Be careful when you are clicking on a link
• Double check what you are downloading
• Purchasing the right security software e.g. McAfee Security
• Being cautious when opening removeable data
• Always update your computer
• Know the person you are accepting incoming files from
• Be aware of your different file formats
Do you have any more information regarding IT Security? Please contact us at ITC Global Security for more questions.
