Who exactly is a ransomware victim?

As technology advances as it does, criminals are using ever more sophisticated methods of stealing our cash. We are often sent messages from the mail box or mobile device that contain hyperlinks to photos or other programs that may "interest us", but, in fact, are malware that take control of the mobile device or computer.

For example, you can, post an advertisement on an advertising platform that promotes selling a product. A few hours later you will receive an SMS offering to exchange the product you are selling for another and a link to the photos of this product. It is possible to download the appropriate software in the event that you click on this link on an Android phone. It will transfer all the money into the bank account of the criminal.

Another common attack technique is to send mail messages with link text and linkthat encourages users to click the link. In this case, for example, the intruder might promise you a lucrative job, but you have to fill out the form by clicking the link. Your computer or mobile device will then be infected by a trojan, or a "keylogger", which reads data from your hard drive and records keystrokes. The intruder can use these data to hack into your system. The attacker will have the ability to study the data and find your passwords. This is a way to steal your personal data or to steal money.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware, a type of malware that relies on human psychology, is a completely novel method to earn cash for hackers. If you click the link, your device gets blocked , and you are presented with the message: "You must transfer 100dollars to allow access back to your device, and to prevent the loss of data." "

Most often, the special program code alters autorun files or registry when you click on these hyperlinks. The user is then shown this message. If you do transfer money, it won't affect anything and you aren't able to access your device.

Ransomware may also cause severe damages to your computer. Be aware, that when malware is infected, it does not create backups. Therefore, your information is lost forever and nobody will be able to retrieve it remotely.

Therefore, it is essential to employ antivirus or specially designed scripts to restore your system. Never ever transfer money to anyone!

How to protect yourself

It is essential to make sure that the database of antivirus is up-to-date. Most often antivirus systems are effective in preventing infection of the operating system.

Third, make sure you back up your data on a regular basis. Use a removable external hard drive or cloud service to perform this. If you lose your data from your device, you can easily restore it without problems.

Be aware, and that's the most important aspect. According to statistics that most of the time, malware is infected on a computer or mobile device when you open an attachment to a letter from your mailbox, for instance opening an attachment picture. Unknown recipients can deliver attachments are not appropriate to open. To shield yourself from such messages, make use of temporary mailboxes. They will block your identity from the internet and filter out any suspicious messages. According to statistics, temporary mailboxes are the least vulnerable to attacks of this kind because their lifespan is very limited.

Summary

Never open mail sent by unknown persons and don't open attachments.

Never transfer money to an intruder when your device is locked. Your device won't be unlocked. Utilize antivirus software or scripts to solve the problem.

You can safeguard yourself from malicious attachments using disposable mailers.