What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) that is designed to hold your files or computer hostage, demanding payment for you to regain access. Ransomware has become very common because it is so profitable for criminals.
Like most malware, ransomware starts by infecting your computer, most often when you open an infected attachment or click on a malicious link in a phishing email. Once ransomware infects your computer, it encrypts files on your hard drive – possibly even your entire hard drive – or anything else connected to your computer, so you can no longer access your files. It then informs you that the only way you can recover your files is to pay the cybercriminal a ransom (thus the name ransomware). Sometimes, the criminals also threaten to release your files publicly if you don’t pay the ransom. The criminals may demand payment in the form of untraceable digital currency, such as Bitcoin. If you pay the ransom, the criminals might give you access to your files, but there are no guarantees. Sometimes they will even take your money and still leave your computer infected without you knowing it or keep asking for more money.
Protect Against the Infection
You can protect your computer against a ransomware infection the same way you protect it against other forms of malware. Here are three key steps:
- Update Your Systems and Software: Cyber criminals often infect computers or devices by taking advantage of unfixed bugs (known as vulnerabilities) in your software. The more current your software is, the fewer known vulnerabilities it has, and the harder it is for cyber criminals to infect them. Therefore, make sure your operating systems, applications, and devices have automatic updating enabled.
- Enable Anti-Virus: Use up-to-date anti-virus software from a trusted vendor. Such tools are designed to detect and stop malware. However, anti-virus cannot block or remove all malicious programs, and usually it cannot recover your files after a ransomware infection. Cyber criminals are constantly innovating, developing new and more sophisticated infection tactics that can evade detection. In turn, anti-virus vendors are constantly updating their products with new capabilities to detect malware. In many ways it has become an arms race, with both sides attempting to outwit the other.
- Be Vigilant: Cyber criminals often trick people into installing ransomware and other forms of malicious software through phishing email attacks. For example, a cybercriminal might send you an email that looks legitimate and contains an attachment or a link. Perhaps the email appears to come from your bank or a friend. However, if you open the attached file or click the link, you could activate malicious code that infects your computer. If a message creates a strong sense of urgency or seems too good to be true, it could be an attack. Be vigilant – cyber attackers play on your emotions. — Common sense is often your best defense.
Back Up Your Files Before the Infection
Since it’s impractical to assume that you’ll always be able to prevent an infection, your best defense against ransomware is backups. If you have a backup of your important documents and other files, you have the option of recovering from backup instead of paying the ransom. It’s important that you use some type of automated backup that regularly backs up all your files and that you test your restore procedures to make sure you can recover them if the need arises. There are numerous simple Cloud and local backup solutions that you can install on your computer that will securely and regularly back up all your files for you.
Programu-jalizi ya Utoaji-Dola ni nini? Ransomware ni aina ya programu hasidi iliyoundwa kushikilia faili zako au kompyuta yako kama mateka, ikitaka malipo ili upate tena upatikanaji. Programu-jalizi za kuokoa pesa zimekuwa za kawaida sana kwa sababu zina faida nyingi kwa wahalifu. Kama malware nyingi, ransomware huanza kwa kuambukiza kompyuta yako, mara nyingi wakati unafungua kiambatisho kilichoambukizwa au bonyeza kiungo cha uharibifu katika barua pepe ya udanganyifu. Mara baada ya ransomware kuambukiza kompyuta yako, ni encrypts faili kwenye diski yako ngumu - uwezekano hata diski yako nzima ngumu - au kitu kingine chochote kushikamana na kompyuta yako, hivyo huwezi tena kupata faili yako. Kisha inakuarifu kwamba njia pekee ya kupata faili zako ni kulipa fidia kwa mhalifu wa mtandao (kwa hiyo jina ransomware). Wakati mwingine, wahalifu pia kutishia kutolewa faili yako hadharani kama wewe si kulipa fidia. Wahalifu wanaweza kudai malipo katika fomu ya fedha digital untraceable, kama vile Bitcoin. Ikiwa utalipa fidia, huenda wahalifu wakakupa upatikanaji wa faili zako, lakini hakuna dhamana. Wakati mwingine hata watachukua pesa zako na bado kuacha kompyuta yako imeambukizwa bila wewe kujua au kuendelea kuuliza kwa ajili ya fedha zaidi. Ili kuepuka maambukizi ya ransomware, unahitaji kutumia programu ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta ya kompyuta. Hizi ni hatua tatu muhimu: - Sasisha Mifumo na Programu yako: Wahalifu wa mtandao mara nyingi huambukiza kompyuta au vifaa kwa kutumia faida ya makosa yasiyohifadhiwa (yajulikana kama udhaifu) katika programu yako. Kadiri programu yako ilivyo ya kisasa, ndivyo inavyokuwa na udhaifu mdogo unaojulikana, na ndivyo inavyokuwa vigumu kwa wahalifu wa mtandao kuambukiza. Kwa hiyo, hakikisha mifumo yako ya uendeshaji, maombi, na vifaa kuwa na update moja kwa moja kuwezeshwa. - Kuwezesha Anti-Virus: Matumizi ya up-to-date anti-virus programu kutoka muuzaji kuaminika. Vifaa hivyo vimetengenezwa ili kugundua na kuzuia programu-jambazi. Hata hivyo, antivirus haiwezi kuzuia au kuondoa programu zote zenye madhara, na kwa kawaida haiwezi kurejesha faili zako baada ya maambukizo ya ransomware. Wahalifu wa kibiashara huendeleza mbinu mpya na za hali ya juu zaidi za kuambukiza ambazo zinaweza kuepuka kugunduliwa. Kwa upande mwingine, wauzaji wa antivirus daima kusasisha bidhaa zao na uwezo mpya wa kugundua programu hasidi. Kwa njia nyingi limekuwa mbio za silaha, huku pande zote mbili zikijaribu kumshinda yule mwingine. - Kuwa makini: Wahalifu wa mtandao mara nyingi kudanganya watu katika kufunga ransomware na aina nyingine ya programu mbaya kupitia mashambulizi ya barua pepe ya udanganyifu. Kwa mfano, mhalifu wa kompyuta anaweza kukupelekea barua pepe inayoonekana kuwa halali na iliyo na kiambatisho au kiungo. Labda barua pepe hiyo inatokana na benki yako au rafiki yako. Hata hivyo, ukifungua faili iliyoambatanishwa au kubonyeza kiungo, unaweza kuamsha nambari mbaya ambayo huambukiza kompyuta yako. Ikiwa ujumbe unaonyesha kwamba jambo fulani ni la haraka au unaonekana kuwa mzuri sana hivi kwamba haiwezekani, huenda ukawa shambulio. Kuwa macho <unk> washambuliaji wa kompyuta hucheza na hisia zako.  Mara nyingi akili ya kawaida ndiyo njia bora ya kujikinga. Backup faili yako Kabla ya maambukizi Kwa kuwa ni unrealistic kudhani kwamba daima utakuwa na uwezo wa kuzuia maambukizo, ulinzi wako bora dhidi ya ransomware ni backups. Ikiwa una nakala ya nyuma ya hati zako muhimu na faili zingine, unaweza kuokoa kutoka kwa nakala ya nyuma badala ya kulipa fidia. Ni muhimu kwamba wewe kutumia aina fulani ya chelezo moja kwa moja kwamba mara kwa mara chelezo faili yako yote na kwamba wewe mtihani taratibu zako za kurejesha kuhakikisha unaweza kurejesha yao kama haja inatokea. Kuna njia nyingi za kuhifadhi faili za kompyuta kwenye kompyuta yako, ambazo zinaweza kuhifadhi faili zako zote kwa usalama na mara kwa mara.