Ransomware
What to do if you accidentally fall victim to ransomware?
- Alert law enforcement. Although they might not be able to help much, they should be made aware of the crime.
- Turn off your infected computer and disconnect it from the network it is on. An infected computer can potentially harm the other computers sharing the same network.
- Decide whether or not you are going to pay the ransom.
Note: if your data have been backed up on a separate harddrive, you can at least recover the data you lost from the point of the last backup. This helps in the event that you are hit by ransomware, you are able to get data back without paying the ransom.
If you do decide to pay the ransom, you should know that the cyber criminal will likely require you to pay using Bitcoin (or the like), which is software used to make web browsing anonymous. This means that tracing the thieves is nearly impossible and if they decide not to unlock your computer, then you are pretty much out of luck and money. Furthermore, even if the hackers do unlock your computer, there is always a chance they can lock your computer again in the future, demanding more payment.
Follow the tips in the video to AVOID ransomware attacks!!
