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It’s all in the news and the web. People and businesses getting infected by ransomware and losing all their data unless they pay the ransom, which can exceed $1,000. Unfortunately once you’re infected there’s not much you can do except restore from backups (assuming you have off-site backups available to restore from). Luckily it’s easy to protect yourself from falling victim to these ransomware scares.
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[li]Do NOT open e-mails and e-mail attachments unless you are 150% sure you know the sender and you’re 200% sure the file is safe. Whatever you do, do NOT open .exe files from any e-mail[/li][li]Do NOT visit unfamiliar websites.[/li][li]Avoid clicking advertisements on sites. They can be infected ads, called malvertising.[/li][li]Run up-to-date antivirus protection[/li][li]Keep software and Windows/OS updated[/li][li]Back up your data! It can not be said enough, back up your data. Backups are the #1 tool against ransomware. Have them offsite, in the cloud… anywhere that is not on your computer.[/li][li]Security gurus and researches say to not pay the ransom no matter what. We at PCHF advise not paying either, but ultimately the decision lies with you. [/li][/ul]
If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll be better defended against ransomware. The more knowledge you have, the better off you’ll be
[ul]
[li]Do NOT open e-mails and e-mail attachments unless you are 150% sure you know the sender and you’re 200% sure the file is safe. Whatever you do, do NOT open .exe files from any e-mail[/li][li]Do NOT visit unfamiliar websites.[/li][li]Avoid clicking advertisements on sites. They can be infected ads, called malvertising.[/li][li]Run up-to-date antivirus protection[/li][li]Keep software and Windows/OS updated[/li][li]Back up your data! It can not be said enough, back up your data. Backups are the #1 tool against ransomware. Have them offsite, in the cloud… anywhere that is not on your computer.[/li][li]Security gurus and researches say to not pay the ransom no matter what. We at PCHF advise not paying either, but ultimately the decision lies with you. [/li][/ul]
If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll be better defended against ransomware. The more knowledge you have, the better off you’ll be