With the recent ransomware attack taking its toll on nearly a quarter of a million computers and affecting millions of users and their customers around the world, the question in the minds of many right now is, “How do I protect myself from something like this?” Fortunately, the solutions are simple, even if some of the biggest names in business around the globe missed them or were unable to use them.
As The New American reported earlier today, ransomware has been around for almost 30 years, but has gained notoriety only in the past decade. In the past 10 years or so, ransomware has claimed millions of victims who have paid to regain access to the files on their computers. As this writer explained in that article:
Ransomware works by encrypting all of the personal data files on a computer, making them inaccessible to the user unless he has the correct key to decrypt them. In a typical ransomware attack, the first indication the victim has of the attack is a warning that takes over his computer screen telling him that all of his files have been encrypted and that he must pay a ransom to the attacker to get the key. The ransom is only accepted in some type of untraceable currency — usually Bitcoin. It is also common for the attacker to give two deadlines. The first deadline is the day the demanded payment will go up — usually by at least 100 percent. The second deadline is the day the attacker will wipe all of his own files — including the keys to unlock the victim’s files — and walk away. After that day, it would be impossible to recover the encrypted files.
When the victim is an individual user, the ransom is typically a few hundred dollars; for businesses, the ransom could be $10,000 or more. Since powerful encryption is — by design — uncrackable, a large percentage of victims simply pay the ransom and hope for the best. In most cases, the attacker provides the correct key and the victim — usually a few hundred (or thousand) dollars poorer — is able to unlock the encrypted files.
