Ransomware & it's type

WHAT IS RANSOMWARE AND HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IT

Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks and makes you stop being able to use your computer, and asks you for a reward in exchange for the promise that many times is not kept to give you back control. It is a type of threat that you will see periodically reappear in the media due to attacks on large companies, but as it can also affect users, we are going to explain what exactly Ransomware is so that you can be vigilant and prevent it from affecting you.

For this second, we are also going to give you tips to learn how to protect yourself from it, both with precautionary measures with which to try to avoid being infected and with a series of tips to minimize the damage in the event that it ends up affecting you.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that is known as malicious software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer or information system without the consent of its owner. Malware can take several forms, such as a computer virus, a Trojan horse, spyware, or ransomware.

The name of ransomware is compound, and is the union of the words Ransom and software. Ransom means ransom in English, and in fact what this type of malware does is hijack a computer's data and ask for a financial ransom in exchange for releasing it. Normally what it does is encrypt your data, and what they offer you in exchange for the financial ransom is the key to decrypting it.

This type of program can access your computer on the back of a computer worm or other type of malware, and once it encrypts your data, it will lock your computer showing you a warning screen informing you that you have been a victim of the attack. On that screen, you are also shown the amount to pay and the payment method, which can be by SMS, Paypal or through bitcoins.

It is one of the threats that has been growing the most in recent years, so it is important to keep your computer always up-to-date and follow a series of precautions when dealing with suspicious emails or messages, always avoiding installing anything that you mail people you don't know.

Another tip that almost all computer security experts agree on is that you should try to never pay the ransom that is asked of you. By doing so you allow criminals to get away with it, and encourage them to continue to use this type of program. The easiest method to combat it is to always have up-to-date backup copies of your databases and format the affected computers, recovering them later with these copies.

How to protect yourself from ransomware

Unfortunately, when a ransomware has already infected and locked your computer there is almost nothing you can do, so all the work to protect you has to be preventive. In these actions that you can perform we can distinguish two types, on the one hand there are the tips to avoid being affected by these threats, and on the other the tips so that if you are affected by a ransomware the damage suffered is the minimum possible.

How to avoid a ransomware attack

One of the main methods of infecting your computer with ransomware is usually sending emails with the malware attached and camouflaged, the classic phishing. Therefore, it is important never to trust unsolicited attachments in emails. If you receive an unexpected email from a stranger and an attachment, never open the attachment and delete the email trying never to open it.

If the email you receive is from a contact you know, but you are surprised that they have sent you an attachment or have not asked them to send you anything, it is best to make sure by asking that person before opening the attachment. A "hey, did you send me something?"

It is also important not to pay attention to fake emails from companies. Sometimes they are difficult to detect because they are well done, but for years there have been many attacks using fake emails. To avoid this, if you receive a message from a company or institution that you did not expect, or an email that has a strange wording and an attachment or link that asks you to open, ignore the message and delete it immediately. Institutions usually have other ways to communicate with you without adding attachments.

And since we are talking about links, these are another classic method to infect computers, either through emails or messages on social networks. For this reason, never click on links from unknown addresses or whose origin is not clear, and be especially careful with links that come from pages that shorten addresses. If the link is from an acquaintance, same as before, ask first.

Habits so that ransomware does not harm you

There are a number of good habits with which you can avoid the negative impact that ransomware has on your computer. The most important is to make regular backups of all your files, and especially the most important ones. Never ever let important documents and files have only one copy on your computer, and keep backup copies up-to-date so that in case of breakdown or attack, you can recover as much information as possible.

Where to keep these copies is your choice. You can use a portable hard drive connected to your computer. Of course, some experts advice deactivating the synchronization function with online services such as Dropbox, and manually synchronize at least once a day. This prevents a possible ransomware attack from also reaching your copy in the cloud.

It is also important to have the best antivirus which can detect all your viruses and to keep your operating system always updated, and to always update all the applications or antivirus that you may have on your computer. Updates not only add new features, but also fix security issues and bugs that an attacker could exploit to infect you. Hence the importance of always keeping all your software up to date.