Ransomware is on the rise, and the FBI is asking organizations to report the crime to provide a better understanding of the threat. Ransomware encrypts files and documents on hard drives and servers so that the documents cannot be opened without paying a ransom for an encryption key.
How to Avoid Ransomware
One of the best ways to prevent Ransomware from shutting down your network system is to educate employees on the possibility that someone may be falsely representing the company via email. This process, called “phishing,” uses a fake internal email address.
Experts suggest looking at the following to determine if it’s a legitimate email:
- Review the sender’s address before opening the email
- Don’t open it if the email address has a unique addition such as /uk
- Don’t open the email if the sender’s email address is a dot co rather than a dot com
- If the email is written in a style that is not typical of the email sender, don’t open the file
- If the logo or signature block doesn’t look quite right, it’s probably a “phishing” email
If you are unsure about the email, don’t open it. One mistake can launch a virus that can encrypt all documents within a system. To reach the Internet Crime Complaint Center go to www.IC3.gov.
