{"id":1859,"date":"2020-08-25T10:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T02:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mondoze.com\/blog\/?p=1859"},"modified":"2022-09-25T00:38:15","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T16:38:15","slug":"tips-to-avoid-being-a-victim-of-ransomware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mondoze.com\/blog\/tip-sharing\/tips-to-avoid-being-a-victim-of-ransomware","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Avoid Being a Victim of Ransomware"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u00a0<\/strong>Ransom\u2026 What?<\/strong><\/p>

Ransomware is a type of malware that affects your computer. Think of it as a pirate: it locks up your computer and demands a ransom to release your files back to you. Until you pay, you\u2019re prevented from accessing your documents\u2014or sometimes, even using your computer.<\/p>

The pirate typically requests that you send a virtual currency like bitcoin because it\u2019s difficult to track these forms of payment. The pirate promises to unlock your data once you pay, but it\u2019s a true case of buyer beware, as there\u2019s no way to ensure they hold up their end of the bargain since the pirate is anonymous and likely untraceable.<\/p>

While some pirates ask for just a few hundred dollars, others demand thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of bitcoin as ransom.<\/p>

Crying about WannaCry<\/strong><\/h3>

Last week\u2019s ransomware attack may have been based on tools stolen from by the U.S. National Security agency.<\/p>

Called WannaCry, in this attack the pirates demanded the victims pay $300 in bitcoin. If they didn\u2019t pay quickly, the price doubled to $600. If they didn\u2019t pay within a week, the ransomware threatened to delete all of their files.<\/p>

An estimated 200,000 (and growing) machines were infected. High profile victims included England\u2019s National Health Service. Doctors were locked out of accessing some patient records thanks to the ransomware.<\/p>

A Domain Name Connection<\/strong><\/h3>

The spread of WannaCry was halted by a $12 domain name registration.<\/p>

A 22-year-old security researcher in England (who has remained anonymous for privacy reasons) noticed a long domain name buried in the code of the malware. He registered it, thinking that the ransomware would try to connect to the domain name at some point.<\/p>

It turned out that the registering the domain name acted like a \u201ckill switch\u201d, halting the spread of the malware.<\/p>

The researcher believes the pirates put this domain in the code to prevent the malware from behaving properly if a security researcher was investigating it.<\/p>

The good news is that the researcher\u2019s quick action halted the current attack. The bad news is that someone else will alter the code and spread it again.<\/p>

Don\u2019t Be a Victim<\/strong><\/h3>

The best-case scenario when you are a victim of ransomware is that you pay a few hundred dollars and get your files back. The worst case is you pay and still lose all of your files.<\/p>

Rather than plan what you will do if it happens to you, it\u2019s best that you instead make sure you\u2019re never a victim. Here are 6 tips to reduce the chances of pirates holding up your computer.<\/p>