ransomware screen sample
Last year the city of Atlanta was hit with a ransomware attack. The city’s computer systems were infected and encrypted. The hackers demanded $50,000 in bitcoin. Since the beginning of the year five industrial and manufacturing companies were also infected by ransomware. Some of these companies were able to continue working, but proceeded manually instead of utilizing their expensive, automated computer controlled machines.
Ransomware is a devious type of computer virus or malware. Generally it infects the computer system and encrypts valuable data. Once this is done, a message is displayed with a ransom note, stating the funds that must be paid in order to decrypt the data. Those funds are usually paid via bitcoin, an unregulated and anonymous type of digital currency. If you pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that the hackers will provide you with the necessary information to get back up and running again. There’s also the issue of rewarding criminals and pretty much ensuring that they will do this again.
Malware such as ransomware can easily be mitigated by having current and tested backups. Another way to avoid becoming a victim of a ransomware attack is by having an updated anti-virus software, a good one. Here at iRecoverData we offer this software generally for the same or less than your local stores, plus we install it and configure it for you at no extra charge. There are other solutions for protecting your systems from ransomware. If you have a business you may require a higher level of security. We can help with that too. Click the contact link in the menu, or give us a call at 315.676.9096.