Is it safe to use a Ransomware affected system?
A ransomware attack leads to adverse consequences on the attacked system, be it an individual user or a business. In recent years, it has become one of the greatest security threats due to its potential to cause immense damage.
Ransomware not just causes disruptions in regular operations and reduces productivity, but also results in temporary or even permanent loss of essential information and data. In attempts to restore the files and system, massive financial losses might occur due to paying the ransom – IT costs, legal fees and other recovery costs. Not only this, but a ransomware attack has the potential of considerably affecting an organization’s reputation. Furthermore, investments need to be made to install improved security measures to prevent any further attacks.
A ransomware attack on your system can be pretty terrifying, but you shouldn’t freak out! Calm down and consider the options for ransomware removal.
If you see a dialogue box appear on your screen informing you about the encryption of your files or locked system, the first step is to immediately disconnect it from the network to prevent dissemination to other systems, otherwise, the attack will quickly spread through the network, thereby infecting all the connected PC’s. Ensure that the affected system is completely disconnected from the internet and other devices.
Determining whether it is safe to use a ransomware affected system considerably depends on the type of attack. No doubt ransomware is a serious nuisance, but not all of them are so difficult to deal with.
Cybersecurity officials categorize ransomware in three levels:
Low Risk: in this case, there is a spam antivirus which claims to detect malware in the system and demands money for its removal. This is easier to remove from the system.
Medium Risk: this type of malware claims to be a legal entity and locks the system due to the presence of some illegal activity on your PC. A fine needs to be paid to unlock the screen.
The software programs for these two kinds are typically installed in the computer system. They can be physically uninstalled from the list. Anti-malware solutions are also an effective tool to identify and remove any such programs and detect any other infection that might be present on the system.
Dangerous: this type of malware encrypts the data and files in the user’s systems and demands a ransom to decrypt it back. This is the most difficult type of malware to deal with since it uses a high-grade encryption algorithm and no tool can really fix it.
However, there are a few ways for this ransomware removal, which include restoring backups, using decryption tools or negotiating with hackers.
Although an infected computer can still be used, there is still a risk of the data being lost, and the virus spreading to other systems if connected to the internet. Therefore, it is imperative to get rid of the Ransomware as soon as possible.
A number of ransomware removal and checker tools are available to detect the kind of malware injected the PC and assist the victim. You basically need to find the right tool to help decrypt the locked data. This software should, therefore, be installed in your system to get rid of the virus and prevent any future attacks.
All computer users should, therefore, install cybersecurity software. With the ever-increasing malware attacks, the inbuilt security software with the operating system is not sufficient.