A new type of computer security threat has emerged recently called Ransomware. Ransomware is a type of Malware (malicious software) that can inadvertently be placed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, which essentially holds your personal data hostage. How it works is the end-user will receive an official looking email or social media message that has a link to a website or an attachment within it. The email or message will instruct the end-user to open the link or attachment, which then automatically installs the ransomware on your device. The ransomware then encrypts your data so you no longer have access to it unless you have an encryption key. To get that key, you must purchase it from the person who put the ransomware on your computer. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of ransomware is:
- Avoid suspicious emails and messages on social media, and if you get a suspicious email, do not click on any links or download any of the attachments. A few minutes of due diligence can save you hours of frustration and preserve your personal data, so call the alleged company before you do anything the email instructs you to do and verify the email is valid. If you think or find that the email is malicious, you should mark it as spam and delete it from your inbox.
- If your device does become infected wth ransomware or any malware for that matter, the only way to rid your system of it is by having a full system backup on an external device such as an external hard drive or flash drive that you can do a full system restore from. Without a full system backup, the only option is to wipe the hard drive, thus losing all your personal data, and reinstall the operating system, any updates the base operating system needs, and reinstall all your programs and/or apps. The whole recovery of your device can easily take many hours to complete.
Below are some sample screenshots of an actual email and social media message that contained ransomware:
Below are some sample screen shots of what the end-user might see once their device is infected with ransomware:
If you think your operating system has been infected with Malware and need assistance with a full system restore or re-installation of your operating system, contact me for an appointment.