Ransomware
Ransomware is an evolved and relatively modern type of malware that is widely used because of the considerable profit it yields to criminals. Technically, they are cryptographic trojan horses that render the data of infected computers inaccessible and unusable through relative encryption and whose sole purpose is to extort money.
Instead of the classic computer background we will thus see a notice that appears to be from the police or another security organization and proposes an offer. In exchange for a password capable of unlocking all contents, it intimates to pay a fairly large sum of money, usually in cryptocurrency. Ransomware thus represents an attack that reveals itself almost immediately.
There are some rules that can help us avoid ransomware. For example:
⦁ update both your antivirus and operating system periodically;
⦁ update operating systems and browsers;
⦁ install effective and advanced anti-spam services;
⦁ be careful before clicking on banners on unsafe sites and do not open attachments or links contained in emails whose sender we do not know;
⦁ back up your data, that is, working and recent copies of your files.
⦁ restore files from a backup (the best solution);
⦁ look for a “decryptor” on the net to decrypt the files. However, this is not an easy procedure and only works in some cases;
⦁ do nothing and lose your data;
⦁ pay the ransom. In that case, it is necessary to follow the instructions to pay the ransom present on the screen that appears to us. However, this is the worst solution: if we pay, we feed the crime and make it even richer and stronger. Moreover, by paying you have no guarantee that you will get your data back: there is at least a 20 percent chance that the decryption key will not be provided.
Good practices on PC use
