Should Systems That Have Been Attacked by Ransomware be Used Again?

March 26, 2020

Ransomware or ransom malware is a kind of virus which is used to not only corrupt a system and prevent its user from accessing his/her personal files, but also sometimes threatens to publish the user’s data or block access to it completely. This kind of virus, as the name suggests, requires the user to pay a ransom price to the author of the virus in order to regain access to the corrupted files.

How does a ransomware attack a system?

There are many ways in which ransomware can infect your system. The most common way of supplying this infection is through malicious spam or malspam. Malspam is an email which provides the virus into the targeted computer. The email may consist of attachments like PDFs or Word documents with hyperlinks to malicious websites. Malspam tricks people into opening attachments and links, which made to seem legitimate. Another very popular infection method is malvertising, which is online advertising used to distribute malware. While browsing the web, including legitimate sites, users can be directed to criminal servers without ever clicking on an ad.

Using a system after it has been attacked by ransomware

A system that has been infected by a ransom malware can definitely be used again, but only after ransomware removal. The first thing to keep in mind while dealing with the issue is to never pay the ransom price! Paying the author of the virus will only encourage him to supply more malware to you and other people.

There are many ways to deal with a ransom malware infection. The first is by downloading a security product known for remediation and running a scan to remove the threat. It is not sure whether you will get your files back or not, but the removal of the infection is promised. For screen-locking ransomware, a full system restore might be necessary for ransomware removal. If that fails to work, you can use a bootable CD or USB drive to run a scan.

If you want to try and impede the working of encrypting ransomware infection in action, you’ll need to stay particularly vigilant. The first indication that your system is infected is when it starts slowing down for no reason. If you notice it happening, then shut down your system and also disconnect it from the internet. Once you turn your computer on again and the malware is still active, it will not be able to send or receive instructions from the controlling server. Hence, it will block any kind of communication necessary for the spreading of the infection. In this way, the malware may stay idle. You can then use antivirus software, run a scan, and locate and get rid of the ransom malware completely.

After ransomware removal, your system is good to be used again. The only difference is, now you need to be more careful so that your system does not get infected again.

Precautions to not let ransomware infect your system again

Once your system is free of any ransom malware infection, it is important to keep it that way, to avoid losing any more data. You can download a security software which will not only prevent your system from being infected again but will also let you know on time if any ransomware infection has made its way into your computer. It is also necessary for you to not download software or give administrative privileges to one when you do not know exactly what it is and what it does. Lastly, of course, back up your files regularly! So, if any virus does infect your computer, you have one less thing to worry about.

Coronavirus Alert – Ransomware Attacks up by 800%

March 23, 2020

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis.

Cyber counter-terrorism expert Zohar Pinhasi says his cybersecurity firm, MonsterCloud, has had an 800 percent increase in calls since the virus forced many Americans to work from home.

Those remote connections are not always secure, Pinhasi said, giving hackers easy access to devices and networks.

“From those criminals’ perspective, it’s heaven,” he said. “They have stepped on a gold mine.”

Hackers will often send bogus emails called phishing or spear-phishing emails.

The recipient can be tricked into clicking and opening the email because it appears as it could be from someone they know and trust – or be about an important subject — like the coronavirus.

Once they have infiltrated the network, the hacker can hold it hostage and demand ransom payments.

And ransomware attacks aren’t the only tactic.

“Those criminals converted ransomware to something called doxware,” said Pinhasi.

“If you’re not going to pay us, we will sell your data and in addition to that, notify your customers that you were hacked and their data was compromised. This is a game changer since the Coronavirus started – we’ve seen it in the past, but not to that degree.”

Pinhasi said there are several steps individuals, businesses, and government agencies can take to prevent a cyber attack — even with so many remote workers.

Make sure everyone is using a VPN, or a virtual private network, to do office work from home.
Require devices to have two-factor authentication, which verifies a person’s identity before logging in.
Only use WiFi networks that are password protected.
Companies should maintain a reliable back up for their data on a different network.
Organizations should make sure their antivirus software is up to date.
Everyone should think before they click on links and emails.

“Think before you click is major here,” he said, adding he is “extremely worried” about the level of cybersecurity businesses and governments have during this Coronavirus crisis.

Source: CBS12