Security alert: ransomware also in Romania

A new wave of attacks ransomware has place globally. It is a computer "virus" that encrypts all data on a computer or smartphone. The authors of the codes ransomware They demand money to decrypt your devices. Hundreds of dollars if you are an individual, thousands or tens of thousands for companies. Aren't you paying? Goodbye data. It is virtually impossible to decrypt files without the key held only by that hacker.
The business is profitable. Victims paid attackers over $24 million last year, according to dATES from the US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. We are talking about hospitals, public institutions, private companies and ordinary people. Among the victims: a university in Romania.

How can you suffer from it?

There are two main ways.

• First: if you open an infected attachment, or click on a link received by email. Be careful: emails are increasingly clever. Sometimes they even mention your name and home address to make it seem more authentic. The messages talk about an unpaid bill or a small problem that you can solve if you click or open the attached document. If you do, your computer becomes infected.
• Second: infection through ads placed on highly visited sites. There is no need to click on any ads. It is enough to enter a regular site that also delivers ads. website-s like those owned by the BBC, The New York Times or MSN. Or even sites in Romania, where pizzerias or publications were discovered placing infected ads. It's not their fault. The virus was placed in ads by advertising networks, whose IT systems were compromised by hackers. And then the code can get to your computer when the ads (including auto-playing videos) are loaded on the site and start playing.

Where does it enter? ransomware on your device

Through browser utilities, such as Flash Player or Silver Light. These may have vulnerabilities exploited by ransomware, which then installs itself on your PC or smartphone and encrypts your files. After that, you receive an urgent payment request, with amounts that increase the longer you delay.

How do you protect yourself?

The update is sacred. Everything on your device must be up to date, from the operating system to the browser and especially Adobe plugins - because most ads use Adobe Flash.
Be suspicious. Do not open any attached document that you were not already expecting. Do not open any link received in an email, unless you were expecting it from a person/institution with whom you have communicated before, and if you do not already know what it contains. Call/text and ask what is with that link.
Use different Windows accounts. Create two types of users even on your home PC: one for admin and one of Customer regular. Only use the second one when you're not installing programs. When you're logged in as a regular user, without admin rights, it's harder, if not impossible, for a program to install itself on your PC, because the user logged in at that time doesn't have installation rights.
Be prepared for disaster. Back up. Depending on how valuable the information on your PC is and how often it changes, back it up every few months.

UPDATE YOURSELF TODAY, BEFORE YOU GO OUT TO DINING

For a more advanced level of protection contact us. Additionally we will provide you with an audit of IT security.