protect yourself from ransomwareBefore understanding what ransomware means and what ransomware is specifically, it is good to make a small premise regarding the topic of computer security.

The growing spread of malware has seriously jeopardized the IT system of companies and individuals in recent years. When we talk about cyber security, we refer above all to the thousands of cyber violations that are carried out every day by criminal organizations and hackers.

Their goal is to irreparably damage the reputation of their victims, unaware of the risks they run, and to acquire their data for profit.

Although the number of violations is destined to grow dramatically, today it is possible to defend against these attackers by using protection tools to prevent any attack and illegal action and by making use of IT security advice .

Above all, the most technological companies, which therefore operate with digital tools, are most at risk, precisely because their management chain of business activities travels on exclusively digital media. The more vulnerable computer systems are, the easier it is for them to become infected with malware.

Article summary

  • How to notice and protect yourself from ransomware, the ransom malware
  • What are ransomware and why they are dangerous
  • What are the ransomware to keep an eye on
  • How to tell if your pc has ransomware
  • The risks of a ransomware attack for businesses and professionals
  • As co mportarsi in case of attack ransomware
  • Ransomware attack: tips to restore the situation
  • How to defend yourself from ransomware and prevent all risks
  • The best ally against ransomware: data backup
  • How to backup with Acronis
  • How to store data with Synology
  • Use a good antivirus and how to choose it
  • UAE Data Recovery : Your IT security consultant

What are ransomware and why they are dangerous

Ransomware are nothing more than viruses / malware that attack vulnerable computer systems and that are sent by malicious hackers in order to ask for a ransom from their victim.

The English term ” ransom ” literally means ” redemption ” and, although there are different types of ransomware, the cyber attack always ends with a request for money in exchange for the possibility of accessing the system again.

In most cases, the victims of these cyber attacks are no longer able to access their device and display a lock screen containing the request for payment of a certain amount for unlocking the system.

It is not at all difficult to get infected with ransomware. Usually, these malware are acquired by the system through an attached file sent via e-mail and downloaded directly to your device.

Due to the vulnerability of the systems used, such as a website that has bugs, the malware manages to spread and compromise all its functionality .

In addition, social media and instant messaging applications can also sometimes be used to spread the virus. In this case, the malware is able to encrypt the device and encrypt the files within the system to make them inaccessible to the owner.

What are the ransomware to keep an eye on

Ransomware are certainly the most dangerous and harmful types of malware , both in terms of image and from a merely economic point of view.

Some of these types of malware bypass the control of protection programs and others even hide inside the antiviruses that are installed on your device.

One of them is Dharma , a ransomware contained in spam e-mails that has quickly spread through e-mail services. The victims, opening the contents of the e-mail, find themselves in front of a message that invites them and convinces them to update their antivirus.

In addition to the message, there is also a link that requires the insertion of a password indicated in the content of the e-mail which, once inserted, starts the download of the fake update.

The installation process is identical to that of any other executable program and this makes it seemingly harmless. The program, however, starts a process of encrypting the files that are contained within all the devices connected to the user’s computer and, at the same time, starts the installation of ESET AntiVirus Remover .

How to tell if your pc has ransomware

Can you understand if your pc has been infected and how to notice ransomware in time? To answer the first question, you can easily understand if your computer has been infected with this type of malware.

The mechanisms for spreading ransomware are, in principle, always the same.

Usually, the user is attracted by an incoming message visible in his e-mail that warns him that he has been attacked by a virus and invites him to solve the problem.

It is a phishing operation that conveys a message that always contains precise instructions and an invitation to click on a link to get rid of the malware. The ransomware is hidden behind files of different formats, which are downloaded once you click on them.

To be aware of a possible cyber attack with ransomware, a ransom note will certainly follow this operation and, at that point, some actions will have to be taken to try to restore the situation.

We will talk about how to defend against ransomware later.

The risks of a ransomware attack for businesses and professionals

Not only private users are affected, but also companies. And it is above all these that take serious risks, precisely because they have the personal data of a large number of people and because a cyber attack can irreparably compromise the business of the company itself.

The hackers hit companies mainly for two reasons: extort money and / or harm its reputation.

A ransomware attack is also able to block all the company’s activities, especially when the operations are performed by digital management systems, and cause the loss of entire data archives. These data, then, can also be reused for other illegal purposes such as selling to third parties.

Having IT security consultancy can help monitor company activities and assess all risks to prevent any type of attack.

How to deal with a ransomware attack

deal with a ransomware attackWhen you are faced with a case of ransomware attack and you are asked to pay a sum of money in order to restore access to the system, you should never act on impulse.

First of all, paying the ransom is not a guarantee at all . In addition to funding the online ransom racket, these hackers could steal the money and leave the system encrypted, continuing with further illegal activity.

In addition, by paying the ransom, these cyber criminals are allowed to access additional sensitive data such as their bank details and payment details, which could be used for other purposes.

Ransomware attack: tips to restore the situation

The first step to take, when the computer is infected with ransomware-type malware, is to restore the configuration of your operating system .

So, you have to try to restore the system and bring it back to a previous state where the ransomware had not yet been installed. This way, you should be able to log back into the system.

This does not always work. If the computer and the electronic devices connected to it have probably been infected, the only effective method is to proceed with a complete formatting of the computer and / or the connected devices.

Obviously, it is essential to have a copy of the data to avoid losing the archived data. Performing periodic or daily backups , in the case of medium and large enterprises, is an essential prevention weapon.

How to defend yourself from ransomware and prevent all risks

Making use of the support of a computer security consultant is certainly the first step to be taken in order to prevent any attack by ransomware. In fact, it is certainly better to prevent risks than to face problems caused by a cyber attack later.

To understand how to protect yourself from ransomware , it is important to follow good prevention practices and know the security tools available to companies and professionals.

Corporate users can protect themselves, for example, by setting e-mail gateways with anti-phishing and anti-spam filters, as well as carefully checking any incoming content in case of suspicious e-mails.

It is also good to keep resources safe by limiting staff access and segmenting the network to drastically reduce the range of action of ransomware.

Read Also: Ransomware Data Recovery

Obviously, there are many other tricks to follow. Let’s see them in detail.

The best ally against ransomware: data backup

To defend against ransomware and prevent other forms of malware attacking the system, it is essential to back up your data frequently .

Backup systems allow you to have copies of data both locally and in the cloud. In this way, it will be possible to significantly limit the damage in case the computer becomes infected with a ransomware.

Thanks to the backup procedures, if performed quite often, the data is saved in a place other than the local one and can therefore always be safe from the attackers.

It is important to automate recovery plans to regularly back up your data and avoid losing it. This data should be stored outside of your corporate network or used devices , so that copies are not affected in the event of a ransomware infection.

 How to backup with Acronis

The backup data tools provide complete protection from viruses and malware, and enabling consumers to use their devices without the fear of losing their data.

Among the best performing, there are the Acronis software , perfect also for large companies that manage large quantities of personal and sensitive data.

How does Acronis work and how is Acronis Backup used ? Acronis software uses artificial intelligence to protect its data from ransomware and malware that aim to encrypt files and encrypt personal data.

In addition to providing total protection of all the platforms used, both locally and virtual or in the cloud, Acronis Backup allows you to quickly restore data to ensure that business activities are not interrupted.

In addition, Acronis also provides secure software that allows, in a controlled way, to synchronize all company files and also guarantee company employees access to resources.

 How to store data with Synology

Setting up a backup system is fundamental, but it is also necessary to make use of a powerful data storage storage designed to guarantee high performance in the case of managing large amounts of data.

SAN and NAS Synology storage are primarily designed for small, medium and large enterprises. Their peculiarity lies, in fact, in the system of centralization of resources and in the sharing of data between different servers.

It is possible to allow access to several users simultaneously, even remotely, and this allows companies to easily manage resources, increase efficiency and reduce costs on hardware and other tools for data storage.

Use a good antivirus and how to choose it

Protecting the computer, the devices connected to it and the data contained within them cannot be separated from the use of a good antivirus.

By installing an antivirus, you use a very important protection tool, which also allows you to prevent and block any ransomware-type attack. Together with regular data backup, the antivirus provides a powerful defense shield against all types of malware.

Obviously, not all antiviruses are designed to handle ransomware. For this reason, it is important to choose well which antivirus to have, especially if you manage large amounts of personal data.

But what is the best antivirus ever ? Here is a simple guide to help you choose the antivirus based on features and performance.

UAE Data Recovery : your IT security consultant

Protecting yourself from malware and, in particular, from ransomware is essential in order not to jeopardize the security of personal data and of your professional or commercial activity.

UAE Data Recovery  , based in Dubai is able to provide you with a complete IT consulting service in Milan to help you and your company prevent all the risks of a possible ransomware-type cyber attack.

In addition to guaranteeing assistance and support, UAE Data Recovery  recommends cutting-edge, high-performance tools for securing your company’s personal and sensitive data and for increasing the efficiency of all internal operations in a safe and controlled way.

UAE Data Recovery  is the ideal partner company for your IT security consultancy in Dubai UAE

For more information or to request a quote on our services and products, contact us .

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