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.
Smart home devices put you at all kinds of risk. Your house can spy on you, your devices can listen to you and they can even identify when you aren’t at home. The connectivity and convenience these devices are built with have advantages and disadvantages. You don’t have to stay at risk; you can boost your security and stay safe from hackers instead!
How many devices do you have with cameras around the house? You probably have some laptops, a few cell phones, perhaps a baby monitor, and maybe even a home surveillance system. Even though cameras are meant to enhance our devices capabilities, in reality they are putting us in danger. Cybercriminals are able to hack into these cameras to steal our personal information and spy on us.
