Common sense, security can help fight ransomware
Not a day goes by we don’t hear about another “ransomware” attack, it seems – including attacks on a major U.S. oil pipeline and the world’s largest meat processing company.
As the name suggests, ransomware is an attack that locks your computer and demands a ransom to give back your data.
Cybercriminals typically target businesses and governments – in the hopes they’ll pay bounties to release files and perhaps avoid a public relations disaster – but crooks also extort money from regular computer users.
You might sit down to use your laptop or desktop and see an on-screen alert that your computer has been locked or that your files have been “encrypted.” To obtain a decryption key, you must pay up. The ransom demanded from individuals varies greatly, but it’s typically a few hundred dollars and must be paid in difficult-totrace cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin.
For businesses, including health care facilities and universities, criminals typically extort $100,000 or more – or else the obtained files will be deleted, sold or published online.
According to cybersecurity experts, the rule of thumb is not to give in.
“Even if you pay for a ‘decrypter,’ there’s no guarantee you’ll get your files back,” says Darren Shou, chief technology officer at NortonLifeLock, a leading cyber safety company. “In fact, paying encourages more criminal activity.”
Shou says criminals hope for an “emotional response” that will quickly put your hand in your pocket. “It’s a scary moment when you realize someone put a lock on your stuff.”
Ransomware is on the rise, confirms Shou, for both consumers and companies. NortonLifeLock has seen a 35% increase in the past quarter: 537,137 ransomware detections out of a total of 919 million total cyberthreats blocked by Norton over the past 100 days, Shou says. “Ransomware is big business.”
If you’re attacked, experts suggest disconnecting the computer from the network, such as turning off Wi-Fi. On another device, do an online search to determine the kind of ransomware. Sites such as No More Ransom may be able to help by matching your ransomware with a free tool to remove it.
Or you can bring a computer to a technician to decrypt the files. Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers such a service.
There are cases of “double extortion,” in which the criminals exfiltrated data and kept a copy before the victim paid, then they attacked again by threatening to release private and potentially embarrassing emails, texts or images.
Smart software and common sense can help minimize the odds of a ransomware attack.
Proactively install anti-malware cybersecurity software on all your devices, and don’t let it expire at the end of the year. NortonLifeLock has various options, starting at $39.99 a year.
Delete suspicious emails and text messages purported to be from your bank, internet service provider (ISP), credit card company and so on. Clicking on a link may take you to a phony site asking for personal information. Phishing scams try to “lure” you to an authentic-looking site. Your bank or the IRS will never reach out to you via email and ask you to urgently confirm your personal or financial details. Never click on email attachments you didn’t expect.
Download apps (programs) only from trusted sources, such as the Microsoft Store (for Windows 10), the Mac App Store (for Mac users), App Store (iPhone, iPad) or Google Play for Android devices and Chromebooks.
Keep apps and operating systems fuupdated; where possible, set to autoupdate. “Just as we need to do regular maintenance on our cars and homes, we also have to do device maintenance, such as keeping software up to date,” Shou says.
Make sure the devices you have on your network, such as a wireless printer or router, are updated with the latest software (“firmware”).
Regular backups are critical, whether an offline solution (such as an external hard drive, solid state drive or thumb drive) or an online cloud service (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox) or both. Backups protect your files in the event of a ransomware attack (or other malware), as well as theft, fire or flood or a power surge that fries your hard drive.