Tip of the Week: Dads and Moms United Against Ransomware

• August 27th, 2017
Mobile Security, Online Privacy, Online Safety, PC security

Friday after work with the kids at the park. Ian on the swings, Max on the teeter-totter with Kayla, and a few of us parents got talking. Laney’s mom, Evan’s dad, just chatting the way we do. And Luke’s parents started telling us about how their PCs got hacked, totally taken over. It wasn’t a regular worm, it was ransomware. The hackers demanded they pay a ransom to unlock their PCs.

Right away remembered that time it happened at work, and I started to panic…but then I remembered we installed ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware on our PCs. What a relief! I told the group about ZoneAlarm’s anti-ransomware software. Next day I get an email from Evan’s dad. “Seems ransomware attacks are all over the place.

Good thing I’ve heard about ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware, thanks, buddy. I checked it out online! Guess who started the free trial last night?

Ransomware has been all over the news recently, as a spate of attacks by cyber criminals have been carried out the world over. It does not try to destroy your computer, but rather targets the files and locks your data. The cyber criminals then hold the files to ransom, demanding that you pay to access them again. If there is no payment, the price of the ransom could rise or the hackers could destroy your files.

Of course, files stored on a home computer could be anything from important company documents to cherished family photos. The files could be priceless. In light of the recent attacks, ZoneAlarm has released its Anti-Ransomware solution, which is regarded as an essential tool in protecting computer users against ransomware attacks. By their very nature, the attacks do not target specific individuals. They spread through phishing emails and innocuous looking files, along networks, moving from computer to computer at an incredible rate. As more and more ransomware attacks make the headlines, it is essential that home computer users realize the risks. Otherwise, what price will you end up paying?

Many Ransomware attacks will still make the headlines. Sadly, as became apparent with WannaCry, simple steps could have been taken to protect computers against Ransomware. Backing up critical files and keeping anti-virus software up to date are simple procedures that can provide the needed protection against an attack. Moreover, it is critical to ensure that your anti-virus software has anti-Ransomware protection. It was too late for many affected by WannaCry.

Sometimes people fall into the trap of not taking the steps to protect their PCs. They tend to think along the lines of: ‘I just use the computer for Facebook’, or ‘for Skyping the kids’, as if using the computer for simple tasks will somehow cause it to be overlooked by a virus. Or even if they pay attention to the news stories about the attacks, they may see them as remote threats: ‘A rogue state or criminal gang would not target me’. And the problem is that statement is true; they do not target you alone. They target everyone who leaves their computer’s ‘door’ open.

Like most criminals, Ransomware hackers prey on the weak and the vulnerable. In this case, they prey on networks and systems that are open to attacks. Recent attacks have hit computers using the outdated Windows XP, a Microsoft product, but they are not limited to this operating system alone. If you live in a ‘bad neighborhood’, you take steps to protect your home. The same principle should be applied to your PC. Cyber-crime, as we have seen time and time again, has created a ‘bad neighborhood’ in all corners of the globe, no matter which operating system is used. If you do not have sophisticated anti-ransomware software, then you should get it now, before it is too late.

Don’t leave yourself unprotected. Get smart and get ZoneAlarm Anti-ransomware on your PCs today.

Read more:

ZoneAlarm Explains Ransomware from A to Z

PCMag: ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware ‘a Clear Winner’