If you are a business owner or hold an administrative position in an organization, you are informed about Ransomware’s significant threats to your computer systems and networks. I have seen Ransomware thriving as a highly utilizable weapon of cybercriminals for some years. A report from Business Standard underlining a growth in detected cases of Ransomware attacks by 1.2 million per month between January and June of 2022 is enough for an idea about its popularity among hackers.
However, I have also noticed some organizations consider paying the claimed monetary amounts more profitable. But, the ways I will mention in the following section to answer how to protect yourself against Ransomware will make you think otherwise.
Can You Protect Yourself from Ransomware Attacks?
As an answer to “can you protect yourself from Ransomware,” if I shift your sight to a report from Statista, you will notice that 236.1 million cases of Ransomware attacks have been reported worldwide during the first half of 2022. Furthermore, this number is undergoing a gradual decrease. So, you can prevent criminals using such software programs from getting into your systems. More when much new Ransomware is appearing incessantly to make endeavors of thwarting the attacks even more challenging.
But, protecting yourself from Ransomware is highly possible if you have sufficient knowledge and are willing to espouse some necessary measures. If you take it from me, the best possible way of positioning a shield against Ransomware is to install antivirus software in your system. It can block Ransomware intrusions. Therefore, until you secure your systems with such software, sensitive data and money of you and your organization will always be at risk. Furthermore, ensure always to use only effective and time-tested cybersecurity tools to be on the safer side.
So, the question to arise immediately is how to protect the computer from Ransomware.
Ransomware Protection: What is the Best Adoptable Measure?
Singapore’s incident of 2021 would be one latest example of a large-scale Ransomware attack when 137 firms from across the country became victims, resulting in such attacks being enlisted in national security threats. However, how to protect computer from Ransomware? Here, I would like to emphasize that such perils won’t be valid for the business you are in if you ensure to adhere to the measures I have written below.
Stay Away from Clicking Links from Unknown SourcesIf you want to know how to protect yourself from Ransomware, refraining from clicking on doubtful links from unknown websites and spam messages would be my first piece of advice. Clicks on such links always impel users at the risk of automatic downloads without your acquaintance, leading to your system being infected.
Never Expose Your Personal Information
Don’t reply to emails, text messages, or calls from unknown senders offering products or services and asking for your personal information. Chances are criminals planning to execute a Ransomware attack on you are trying to access your details to create personalized phishing messages. Still, if you have doubts about a message and assume it can be genuine, try contacting its sender directly instead of sharing your data immediately.
Don’t Open Email Attachments Sent from Unsafe Sources
Ransomware can enter your system or network in many ways, and opening an email attachment sent from a dubious-looking source is one of them. You will identify whether the sender is genuine or not by checking if the email address is correct. Furthermore, I suggest avoiding opening attachments requiring you to run macros for viewing them. Lord forbid – if the attachment turns out infected and you open it, a spiteful macro will be active, endowing your computer’s control to the malware.
Keep Your Computers away from Suspicious USB Sticks.
In case you don’t know where a USB stick or other storage media has come from, keep your computer safe from connecting it with that storage device. Cybercriminals can also infect those devices beforehand and lure you into using them. So Ransomware can infiltrate your system without a trace right when you connect your device.
Update Your Operating System and Programs Regularly
With you updating your computer’s programs and operating system, your system will remain in state-of-art condition. In addition, it will comprise all new innovative solutions software developers include to safeguard against malware infiltration. Developers develop these updates to make their software more user-friendly and secure against outside penetration.
Turn on A Reliable VPN while Using Public Wi-Fi
How to protect computers from Ransomware while using public Wi-Fi networks? It’s a ubiquitous question that many ask, as using Wi-Fi networks open to the public often brings Ransomware as uninvited guests, although, sometimes, using them becomes completely necessary. Well, I have a straightforward protective plan for such situations. First, only transact sensitive information via public Wi-Fi when it’s direly required. In such instances, turn on a safe VPN service.
Keep Backup of Essential Data
Whether you use a computer for personal purposes or need to run a complete network for your organization, keeping a backup of all essential information is mandatory to escape the clasp of Ransomware. In case you are in a full-fledged organization, you should properly communicate with your subordinates about the responsibilities of this essential task.
Ongoing Ransomware Attack: How Can You Deal It?
Yes – in the section above, I have mentioned some actionable measures that effectively safeguard you from online Ransomware attacks. But, if I leave the topic of what to do during an ongoing Ransomware attack, it would be a felony. Essentially, at a time when Agenda Ransomware, based on Golang, can reportedly accept customization of each victim of it.
So, run your eyes through the lines below describing the best steps one can take while dealing with an ongoing Ransomware invasion.
- Put the antivirus software on your computer for a scan to identify the patches you should fix. The antivirus software you use should be reliable and widely used.
- Upon experiencing an incursion, the need to file a report might arise. Hence, if you receive any ransom massage, click a picture. If possible, take a screenshot.
- Identify and disconnect all infected devices so that hackers can’t spread the Ransomware to other devices and engulf your entire network.
- Stay away from recovering files that have already been encrypted. If the hacker notices activities of attempting to decrypt those files, he can wipe them out permanently.
- After you identify and eliminate Ransomware from your system, eradicate vulnerabilities by changing every password you set.
On 10th May 2022, Rodrigo Chaves, Costa Rica’s president, declared an emergency on national cybersecurity after the Conti Ransomware showed its devastating capabilities. However, putting your head down before the claims of the Ransomware attacker is never an option. But, in situations where no one can do anything and paying a ransom is more profitable than the information being leaked, consider paying it.
Ransomware Protection Software: Do You Need One?
I have already said that installing antivirus software with Ransomware protection is the best possible measure one can take to diminish such threats. But why do you need Ransomware protection software? Here, my reply would be investing a few bucks per month to protect your precious information is much more profitable than having to give gigantic amounts of cash to criminals after being invaded.
So, let’s go through the following sections and discern why Ransomware protection should top your cybersecurity list.
Protects Files and Restricts Monetary Loss
Ransomware protection software’s primary responsibility is to prevent such hazardous programs from entering your computers. So, incidents of your information getting encrypted and you being forced to pay ransom to attackers will never happen. Therefore, you or your organization won’t face any financial risks.
Saves Devices from Getting Damaged
Such malware’s primary way of creeping into your device is phishing emails containing infected attachments. If one opens such mail attachments unknowingly, the malware can damage your computer and all other devices connected to your network. Thus, installing Ransomware protection software also means introducing an additional protective layer to your systems and gadgets.
Preserves Organization’s Reputation
No wonder organizations, regardless of whether they are governmental or companies, comprise galore of sensitive information. Hence, due to a Ransomware attack, organizations always face the menace of disclosing it and subsequently degrading their reputation.
Best Solutions You Can Have for Ransomware Protection
In addition to all the actionable measures I have mentioned till now, plenty of highly effective Ransomware tools are also available online that you can utilize for forming an orb of security around your systems and network. So, let’s find the most trusted and used Ransomware protection tool you can employ.
Cynet
By opting for Cynet, you will have an entirely automated Ransomware protection and response and detection team that always remains active. Cynet brings effective components and real-time file filtering, situating you on the safer side. Besides, its real-time memory protection makes it tremendously intricate for hackers to access information in the systems. Furthermore, its AI capabilities help it perform automated detection and remediation. In addition, Cynet plunges into decoy files and is extremely capable of uncovering Ransomware.
SentinelOne
SentinelOne is a powerful XDR solution detecting, preventing, responding, and eliminating Ransomware and advanced threats. It can avoid intrusions in real-time and identify nation-grade, file-less, and zero-day attacks. Highly effective in endpoint protection, SentinelOne brings cloud-based discovery and control. In addition, it can point out infected devices and make segments of devices encompassing dynamic policies.
CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike is on my list because this antivirus platform contains next-generation technology and can eradicate all types of threats, including Ransomware. For identifying Ransomware, it combines the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
In addition, CrowdStike can utilize behavior-based indicators, which means you don’t have to worry about malware-free and file-less attacks. Along with an extensive threat intelligence database, this software works with its automated IOA remediation feature for discarding all artifacts amassed due to blocked malicious actions.
Norton 360
Norton 360 would be a name one can think of if he is willing to safeguard his systems with a Ransomware protection solution capable of blocking 100% of hazards without compromising device performance. Along with many features to prevent other threats, this protective software solution stops Ransomware invasion tools like AI-powered malware detection, software updater, file backup feature, and an anti-spam feature. I want to add that this user-friendly software is suitable for both new and advanced users.
BitDefender
BitDefender would give you an apt answer to questions like how to protect yourself against Ransomware threats with its 99.9% real-world protection rate. Besides being highly capable of identifying and removing malware, BitDefender also brings an extensive list of other features to the table.
Within the whole stack of tools it contains for full-proof protection of your computer systems, BitDefender envelops automatic backups, malware protection, several anti-spam features, and automatic system updates. Another significant aspect that I want to enlighten is the Ransomware protection of BitDefender containing multiple layers.
Hopefully, after this rove through the necessary information on how to prevent and deal with Ransomware, I have made you realize that risks and preventative ways are available in nearly equal numbers. In today’s world, Ransomware poses one of the most serious cyber security threats to computer systems and networks. Moreover, the condition is more critical since the attackers and Ransomware are changing their skins to become more dangerous.
However, suppose you know the essential nature of these Ransomware attacks and consciously protect your systems with the preventative measures I have disclosed in the upper portions of this page. In that case, you will be remote to such intimidations. But, never stop updating your computers and yourself. Solutions for restricting Ransomware and other malware are also evolving continuously. It leaves a constantly shifting scenario of penetrative attacks and armors utilized against them.