Access Denied
“For organizations that don’t have the will or resources to invest in ransomware defenses now, every day is a gamble that they won’t pay for it later.”
Access Denied !!! No one likes it …..everyone needs access to something or everything but Access is given to those who have created or to them who have hacked the creator. Today we will see about Ransomware.
BECOMING A VICTIM
While extorting internet users for money isn’t a new business model, criminals these days are getting more skilled and ransomware attacks are becoming more frequent. Before you panic and contemplate swapping your email account with a flock of messenger pigeons, continue reading and see how you can protect yourself.
WHAT IS IT?
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks your computer and prevents you from accessing your data until you pay a given sum of money to get the decryption key required to regain access to your files.
There are different ways in which ransomware can make your life difficult. It can either lock your computer screen or encrypt certain files. In the first case, a notification is shown on your system’s screen, preventing you from using it, while with so-called data kidnapping, the malware prevents access to your most important files.
Your attackers will kindly provide you with instructions on how to stop the attack and get your files back — but only if you pay a relatively big sum of money, usually between 300 and 500 USD in either one of the cryptocurrencies or in form of iTunes or Amazon gift cards (less common). Sometimes the attack is backed up by a threat of increasing the sum or deleting files after a certain amount of time. And even though the stats show that some people transfer the required sum, paying the ransom does not guarantee that you will get access to your digital assets
STATS
This is the average ransom stats that has been increased in years
Ransomware has been a prominent threat to enterprises, SMBs, and individuals alike since the mid-2000s. In 2017, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 1,783 ransomware complaints that cost victims over $2.3 million. Those complaints, however, represent only the attacks reported to IC3. The actual number of ransomware attacks and costs are much higher. In fact, there were an estimated 184 million ransomware attacks last year alone. Ransomware was originally intended to target individuals, who still comprise the majority of attacks today
SECURING THE ASSET
Ransomware is spread through attachments in emails, visiting compromised websites, using infected software and infected external storage devices. The first advice you’ll hear regarding ransomware is “Don’t pay the ransom!” You might get your files back, but there’s also a (very possible) scenario of not getting them back or the attacker demanding more money
The most surefire way is to avoid the attack altogether is:
- Keep your antivirus and security software, operating system and other software updated for the best and latest protection from new ransomware threats
- Don’t open suspicious email attachments or click on unknown links, especially if they are a part of unexpected or unknown emails. It doesn’t matter even if they are sent from people you might know!
- Turn off macros in Microsoft Office suite. They are a common way of ransomware attacks
- Remove plugins and add-ons you don’t need from your browser. Make sure to keep those you do need, updated. Check the security settings of your browser, delete cookies and think about installing an ad blocker
- Back up important data. This is one of the simplest ways of fending off an attack. If you have your files backed up, the attacker loses leverage. It’s important to not keep your backing up software connected to the internet all the time — only do it once a day to enable backup. Backing up in two different ways it’s even better — use an external hard drive and cloud storage
A Story
This will guide you about one of the biggest ransomware attack ..The WannaCry Ransomware
Back up your files and sleep sound tonight!
