An Adelaide businessman was on the news this week after paying $5000 to get access to his data after it was encrypted.
In one interview he explained he did not know how it happened and his backup did not work. He has also now bought a new computer.
If you are a business you should ensure that you put steps in place along with being educated as to how this can happen and if it does happen , get help , DO NOT DO what this business owner did.
So how did this happen
Normally through Spam Emails
Spam emails are the most typically used method by ransomware creators to send out attacks to potential victims. They are designed to look like they come from a legitimate email address but in most cases can be spotted by the address they come from ( when did you last look ) or by modern software ( Gmail – Office 365 – spam email )
Exploit Kits Installed In Websites That You May Visit
Exploit kits allow ransomware creators to infect potential victims by the means of a compromised website that they’ve hacked/infected. Using exploit kits ransomware creators upload malicious code to the a compromised website that can exploit vulnerabilities on the visitor’s browser when they visit the infected site and other software that is currently running on the computer.
So when they say vulnerabilities in the browser what do they mean ?
- It is out of date
- It has a malicious extension installed ( when was the last time you checked the extensions)
- Your browser is infected
So when they say vulnerabilities in software what do they mean ?
- It is out of date – old Office
- Old operating systems that are no longer patched or are unable to update due to infections
- Pirated software – Free software
So how do you stop this happening
- Use up to date software – Office 365
- Use up to date Operating systems
- Turn on Junk Email Filtering in Outlook if you run it
- Use an online email account – Gmail – Office 365 Business
- Effective Antivirus software
Have an effective backup solution that you know works
- Online – One Drive – Dropbox
- Software Backup – Macrium Reflect
If your business relies on your computer you need to fix these issues – please CONTACT ME if you would like assistance or advice to hopefully prevent this occurring