Tech Force
  • Home
  • I.T. Support
  • Managed Services
  • Cloud Solutions
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Tech Bits & Bytes Blog

Will That Click Cost You Thousands?

1/3/2017

Comments

 
Ransomware has undeniably been the biggest security threat of 2016. No-one was safe. Hackers targeted everyone and everything, including home PCs – and they were astoundingly successful – earning themselves upwards of $846 million from US reported incidents alone. Business is booming for hackers, with thousands of attacks each day bringing in an average of $640 per target. Perhaps even more alarmingly, the financial cost of each individual attack is on the rise – the more ransomware proves to be an easy earner for them, the more they demand each time.
Picture
For a quick payday, some hackers offer to ‘rescue’ you from immediate danger – for a fee. One method is to trick you into thinking you have a virus that will spread if you don’t pay money to remove it immediately. Another much scarier method is to pretend to be the FBI and say your computer was involved in a crime (anything from money laundering to child pornography) and you can avoid going to prison by paying a few hundred dollars.

Thousands of regular people are also waking up every day to discover they’ve been locked out of their own files. Entire music and video libraries, digital photos from the past 5 years, personal budget files and even their secret novel draft …all held hostage until the user pays a ransom. The encryption is so strong and unbreakable that paying the ransom often becomes the only solution.

The way ransomware gets onto your computer is deviously simple. Generally, the hackers convince you to click an email attachment/link or pop-up. With both approaches, the hacker usually offers helpful information, for example:
  • Tracking an unclaimed parcel
  • Alerting that a virus was found and needs to be removed
  • Advising details of a recent traffic fine

It’s so tempting to click through for more details and that’s what the hackers count on. Their messages and pop-ups aren’t obvious threats and so slip easily under our radar. Unfortunately, they’re not the most trustworthy bunch so paying may not actually unlock your files, and one payment can quickly become several. 

To make matters worse, they can encrypt any backups connected to your computer too, like a USB drive. Having a backup is super important in any situation, but in cases like this, the right backup is needed. Not only one stored separate from your network, but one created recently with all the files you can’t bear to lose. Before restoring your backup, however, you’ll need to make sure the malware isn’t lurking in the background, ready to not just re-infect your restored files but also the backup drive itself.

To avoid finding yourself up to the waist in ransom demands or sending hackers money each month, we recommend being wary of email attachments, even from friends and family. If you’re not sure what the file is, don’t click it. They may not have sent that email intentionally; their infected system may be auto-emailing everyone in the address book. You should also be careful with any popups that appear out of place, especially ones that try to make you panic. If it doesn’t sound right or look right, don’t click it. Ransomware is just too dangerous to risk.

Contact Us to set your computer up with protections against ransomware, and put backups in place that will keep your important files safe.

Comments

    Tech Force Blog

    We provide you with  important, practical tips and insight for your technology and networks for both home and business.

      Contact Us for Help!

    Submit Request

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016

    Categories

    All
    Business Continuity
    Business IT
    Cloud Computing
    Cyber Security
    Networking
    Tech Talk

    RSS Feed

Get in touch with us!

p.   (262) 515-9499
e.   support@techforceonline.com

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday:  9am - 5pm

Contact Us Today!
Remote Support
Residential Online Backup

Picture

See what our clients have to say...

Very pleased with Tech Force!  We've been using Tech Force for over four years now.  We've had a lot of different people do computer and IT stuff for us, but Tech Force is the first to come in and implement a plan.  The plan was executed and we've had no problems.

Tech Force is very good at getting back to you when you have a problem. You don't have to wait and wait for things to get done. If they can't take care of the problem remotely, they will come over here. They always send somebody who is skilled and knows how to take care of the problem, unlike the companies we've used in the past. We've been very pleased with Tech Force!  ~ Ed V., Advanced Spine & Sport

More Client Reviews

Read Our Customer Reviews


We service Racine, Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant, Wind Point, Union Grove, Elmwood Park, Franksville, Caledonia, Kenosha, Somers, Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Parkside, Oak Creek and Franklin, WI and surrounding areas. Copyright © 2009-2020 Tech Force Computer Service, LLC.
  • Home
  • I.T. Support
  • Managed Services
  • Cloud Solutions
  • Blog
  • Contact Us