Beware Of Ransomware

Remember those distressing movies where an innocent soul was kidnapped and held for ransom?  These alarming scenarios often produced endless nightmares and the tendency to double lock all doors and windows. Often, there seemed to be no way to rescue the victim without paying a huge sum of money for their release.

Well, hostage taking has penetrated the world of technology with a vengeance in the form of “ransomware.”

Ransomware is a type of malware that infects and locks up a system until the user pays to regain access to the data. But even then, paying the ransom to these evil hackers does not guarantee that you can recover your files.

So it’s no surprise that the world’s brightest minds and antivirus experts have been seeking solutions to stop this threatening computer disease.

According to a leading antivirus software company, Bitdefender, during 2015 this plague locked millions of people out of their PCs and/or mobile devices while generating millions of dollars through extortion.

But now there may be a solution to this traumatic event. Superstar Bitdefender’s anti-malware experts believe they have identified a method to recognize and thwart this terrifying threat.  The newest Bitdefender 2016 products incorporate security technology that protects files from ransomware. By automatically recognizing typical threatening behavior, Bitdefender automatically stops new or unknown ransomware from reaching your files and protects areas frequently targeted by this malware.

McAfee, the global leader in antivirus security, reminds us that “it is always better to prepare than repair.” Their top level and brilliant nerdy programmers offer some nifty tips to prevent ransomware from even reaching your digital devices.

1. Backup your files. Then, if a ransomware attack occurs, you can wipe your disk drive clean and restore the data from the backup.
2. Think twice. Don’t open links or attachments from people you don’t know.
3. Use a web advisor. McAfee SiteAdvisor will let you know what links are malicious or not.
4. Install comprehensive security software.  McAfee LiveSafe™ service includes a firewall and anti-spam filter to protect your computers, mobile phones and tablets from ransomware.

But what action can you undertake if your precious data is already hijacked and compromised by these nasty, hostage taking, overpowering viruses?

Norton’s Power Eraser may be able to eliminate deeply embedded and difficult to remove crimeware that traditional virus scanning don’t always detect.

And don’t forget those essential cell phones and tablets! On your mobile gadgets, installing a security app, such as Norton Mobile Security is pretty much a necessity, in order to protect your device and data.

Employ everything you can to avoid becoming the hostage in this horror movie of file snatching.  Ransomeware is real and lurking, ready to attack.

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