What Is Ransomware and How Can You Avoid It? Free Antivirus

You are quietly scrolling through your feed on social networks when suddenly a window opens: “ Your hard drive has been encrypted. You have 48 hours to pay $ 200 or your data will be destroyed ”. A link and instructions are there for you to pay in bitcoin. A disturbing countdown begins. Nine, eight, seven ...

Immediately you think of the contents of your hard drive: the video of your daughter's graduation, your bank statements, your life insurance policy, photos of your grandchildren… they're all there, vulnerable, Defenseless ones and zeros… and you have no idea what the heck a bitcoin can be.
Welcome to the world of ransomware: a Hollywood movie hostage-taking of your digital data. Ransomware is a threat to the security of people and businesses, and cyber-security experts predict it will only get worse.

One of the main causes is that business ransomware is very lucrative . Every year, millions of hackers threaten to destroy or encrypt valuable data if their ransoms are not paid.

What is Ransomware?

In summary, ransomware is malicious software that infects our equipment and gives hackers the ability to remotely lock your PC and encrypt your files, allowing them to take control of all your stored information and data. To get rid of this virus, a pop-up opens and asks you for a ransom in the form of payment. This kind of payment is often requested in virtual currency (in bitcoins for example).

One of the most well-known ransomware is the Police virus . When you are hacked, it blocks your computer and sends a message claiming to be the National Police saying that their teams have detected illegal activity related to pedophilia and pornography. To regain access to all your information, the ransomware asks you to pay a fine.

Shame, the need to recover your information, and the pressure of an alarming and unknown message lead some people to pay to save their computer. Hackers see a lot of benefits and take advantage of this kind of behaviour to develop ransomware-based computer infection strategies . At  Security , we give you the keys to recover your computer and all your information without paying a dime. You don't have to be a multi-millionaire or a multinational to be in danger. Hackers also target middle-income consumers.

When targeting these kinds of people, they can only ask for a ransom of a hundred dollars, but when the threat involves several thousand people, the business is rather lucrative. Ransomware victims pay because they feel the risk of losing everything is too high. This only encourages criminals, however.

How Does Ransomware work?

They camouflage themselves in an attractive file or program, enticing to click: email attachments, videos of dubious origins, or even updates to reliable systems like Windows or Adobe Flash.

Once you download it, the ransomware is activated, blocks the entire operating system, and launches the alert with the threat and the amount to pay for the “rescue” of your data. Depending on the type of ransomware used, the message may vary: pirated content, pornography, fake viruses, etc. To reinforce the victim's uncertainty and fear, the threatening message may contain your IP address, the name of your access provider to internet and even a photo taken from your webcam.

There are two types of ransomware: “ file encryptors ” and “ screen lockers ”.
Encryptors infect your devices and turn your data into unreadable $ & @% # *. Screen lockers disable access to your computer by taking over the operating system: they deny access to data but do not encrypt it.
If you know the type of ransomware you are dealing with, you have a better chance of getting your money back.

The Screen Locker

This ransomware works for one simple reason - it attacks emotions. The fear of losing your family photos or the novel you worked on is palpable. Fear is what gives hackers the power to manipulate. Here is an example of a frequently used screen lock ransomware: The Police Scam
As explained above, this scam consists of pop-up appearing out of nowhere, which bears an official “POLICE NATIONALE” logo with a message from the type: "You are accused of posting / storing and / or distributing prohibited pornography (pedophilia / bestiality / rape, etc.)".

Disgusted by the accusation, you move your cursor towards closing the window but nothing happens.Then suddenly a live video appears. On your screen, you see your own face looking at you. You are horrified. Someone has hacked into your webcam and is spying on you. This is what the Police attack looks like. Never pay the ransom. Instead, download free antivirus removal software.

The Cryperson

Recent cybersecurity studies show that encryptors are the most effective forms of ransomware today. Hackers are developing ever more sophisticated forms of encryptors, which are not only harder to detect but above all capable of reproducing themselves. Unlike basic screen lockers, encryptors actually threaten your data.

CryptoLocker

Inspired by viruses such as the police scam, cyber-criminals have developed data-threatening ransomware like CryptoLocker, which hijacks user documents and gives victim 72 hours to pay the ransom. To amplify the drama, CryptoLocker appears with a disturbing clock that starts the countdown until the day your data dies.

CrytoLocker ransomware comes from an email containing ZIP files and activation passwords. When you open the email and enter the password, a Trojan is deployed on your system and begins to encrypt your hard drive. The hacker then creates a private key which becomes the only access to decrypt the data. If you do not pay the ransom, the key is destroyed and the data remains encrypted.

Keep your data out of the reach of hackers by removing the power to destroy it: save it in a separate hard drive AND in the cloud.

The WannaCry attack

On Friday, May 12, 2017, North Korea launched a massive ransomware attack that has spread around the world. WannaCry in 2017 is the world's most contagious and destructive ransomware attack to date - infecting more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries. The hackers demanded a ransom of $ 300, making it clear that they were targeting small businesses, associations and individuals.

Ransomware like Wanna-cry is feared in cyber-security circles because it has the ability to duplicate itself . Wanna-cry does not need you to open an email or download an attachment from a website. It replicates itself via a worm, sending copies of itself over the Internet.

Wanna-cry takes advantage of vulnerabilities in your operating system to enter and take over your computer, encrypting your data and demanding a ransom. Like most data-destroying ransomware, by the time people find out they are infected, it is too late.

Ransomware has become increasingly sophisticated and destructive. Analogue delivery methods have given way to more stand-alone forms as cyber-criminals mix and match the characteristics of malware to create new strains. In June 2017, cyber-security experts discovered a new form of ransomware called Petya , which includes both screen lock AND encryption functionality. If you're worried about ransomware, protect yourself is pretty straightforward. Follow the tips below to avoid them and invest in comprehensive antivirus software.