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. Read more…
Love or loathe modern technology, our computers often hold information on sensitive personal or financial information. This can include photos of loved ones, college and academic essays, or financial records such as bank statements. How much would you pay to retrieve a college dissertation a week before the deadline? Or, a batch of wedding photos from a day that can never be relived? If the idea of being vulnerable to cyber criminals makes you anxious, take the necessary steps now so you won’t have to make a difficult decision in the future. Protect your home computer against ransomware attacks and other viruses. It could be the smartest move you ever make.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that prevents the victims from accessing their documents, pictures, databases and other files by encrypting them and demanding a ransom to decrypt them back. A deadline is assigned for the ransom payment, and if the deadline passes, the ransom demand doubles or files are permanently locked. The Ransom demands are on the rise, with average demands above $1,000, up from $300 back in 2015. Ransomware is an ever-increasing threat worldwide, claiming a new victim every 10 seconds.
So What is WannaCry?
Last Friday there was a global cyberattack that affected 150 countries called WannaCry, also known as Wanna Decryptor and “wcry”. WannaCry is a Ransomware attack that extorts innocent PC users by encrypting their files and demanding a ransom in bitcoin to release them.
If you have a Gmail account, beware of the most recent phishing scam that targeted roughly 1 billion Gmail users worldwide. This new scam compromises your email account and can give hackers complete access and control of your Gmail account and to all of your personal details and information.
