Ransomware – A New Threat You Need To Know About
Business Technology | November 29, 2016
RANSOMWARE – A NEW THREAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
You just get to work. You hang up your jacket, unpack your bag, and settle in with a warm coffee. You turn on your computer and get ready to empty your inbox. However, today the only thing that appears on your monitor is a window asking for money if you want your computer “returned” to you. No matter what you do, you can’t get beyond the screen, and now a ticking clock begins to countdown, warning you to pay a dollar amount before the clock hits zero, or all your files will be destroyed. You’ve encountered one of the latest ways that criminals are separating money from their victims. In this blog series, we will investigate Ransomware. In the next 5 posts you will learn what it is, why it’s important, how to protect yourself against it, and the steps to take if you’ve fallen victim to it.
RANSOMWARE IS A MALICIOUS PROGRAM THAT, ONCE INSTALLED
ON YOUR COMPUTER, CAN KIDNAP YOUR COMPANY’S FILES
WHAT IS RANSOMWARE
Ransomware is a malicious program that, once installed on your computer, can kidnap your company’s files. There are many types of ransomware but the common function of them all is that they will prevent you from using your computer normally. They will then ask you to do something before they will return your computer to you. They may ask you for money directly, request you pay for a specific program to “fix” the problem, or possibly even make you submit personal information that can be used later to extort further funds. Whatever the request, there is no guarantee that submitting to it will once again allow you to access your computer.
TYPES
The earliest known version of ransomware was called CryptoLocker. It came out near the end of 2013 and in no more than a week, people were reporting that they had been locked out of their hard drives. Ransoms were being requested to regain access to personal and business files. Like any new virus, CryptoLocker spread over tens of thousands of computers in a matter of days. Since then, Ransomware viruses have boomed. The virus Tescrypt is found to hold 42% of the ransomware scene globally, while Crowti (17%) also remains near the top beside Brolo (9%) and FakeBsod (15%). In Canada, our main threats seem to be Brolo and Tescrypt.
Brolo can infect your computer when you visit or are redirected to a malicious website. It will lock your web browser by showing you a message that asks you to pay a fine or call a phone number. It will typically use scare tactics to try to persuade you to pay the “fine.” It may state you have broken the law, that they have encrypted your files, or that your PC has a critical error that needs to be addressed. It can stop you from closing your web browser, using the address bar or pressing any shortcut keys.
The best defense to any new online threat is education. The threats are always changing, but that simply means our defense strategies change as well. In our next post we will look at the vulnerability of small business to ransomware. In the meantime, if you have questions and want help navigating your specific scenario, please feel free to contact us on our website and we would be happy to consult with you.
RANSOMWARE – A NEW THREAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
You just get to work. You hang up your jacket, unpack your bag, and settle in with a warm coffee. You turn on your computer and get ready to empty your inbox. However, today the only thing that appears on your monitor is a window asking for money if you want your computer “returned” to you. No matter what you do, you can’t get beyond the screen, and now a ticking clock begins to countdown, warning you to pay a dollar amount before the clock hits zero, or all your files will be destroyed. You’ve encountered one of the latest ways that criminals are separating money from their victims. In this blog series, we will investigate Ransomware. In the next 5 posts you will learn what it is, why it’s important, how to protect yourself against it, and the steps to take if you’ve fallen victim to it.
RANSOMWARE IS A MALICIOUS PROGRAM THAT, ONCE INSTALLED
ON YOUR COMPUTER, CAN KIDNAP YOUR COMPANY’S FILES
WHAT IS RANSOMWARE
Ransomware is a malicious program that, once installed on your computer, can kidnap your company’s files. There are many types of ransomware but the common function of them all is that they will prevent you from using your computer normally. They will then ask you to do something before they will return your computer to you. They may ask you for money directly, request you pay for a specific program to “fix” the problem, or possibly even make you submit personal information that can be used later to extort further funds. Whatever the request, there is no guarantee that submitting to it will once again allow you to access your computer.
TYPES
The earliest known version of ransomware was called CryptoLocker. It came out near the end of 2013 and in no more than a week, people were reporting that they had been locked out of their hard drives. Ransoms were being requested to regain access to personal and business files. Like any new virus, CryptoLocker spread over tens of thousands of computers in a matter of days. Since then, Ransomware viruses have boomed. The virus Tescrypt is found to hold 42% of the ransomware scene globally, while Crowti (17%) also remains near the top beside Brolo (9%) and FakeBsod (15%). In Canada, our main threats seem to be Brolo and Tescrypt.
Brolo can infect your computer when you visit or are redirected to a malicious website. It will lock your web browser by showing you a message that asks you to pay a fine or call a phone number. It will typically use scare tactics to try to persuade you to pay the “fine.” It may state you have broken the law, that they have encrypted your files, or that your PC has a critical error that needs to be addressed. It can stop you from closing your web browser, using the address bar or pressing any shortcut keys.
The best defense to any new online threat is education. The threats are always changing, but that simply means our defense strategies change as well. In our next post we will look at the vulnerability of small business to ransomware. In the meantime, if you have questions and want help navigating your specific scenario, please feel free to contact us on our website and we would be happy to consult with you.