We\u2019ve all heard of cases in the news, or on an episode of Law & Order, where a person is kidnapped and held for ransom. Someone wants money before they will return the person. Now, it\u2019s happening with computer files as well. Hackers are getting into computers, planting viruses that render the files on your computer virtually useless, and demanding money to unlock your files so they are usable again. It\u2019s called ransomware, and it\u2019s just the latest in the countless scams that can wreak havoc on your business. Don\u2019t fall prey to it.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works: You get an email with an attachment that looks like something interesting that you may want to read. But the email hasn\u2019t come from a source you know or trust. If you open the email, it could very well plant a virus in your system. And then you\u2019ll get the notification that to unencrypt your files, you\u2019ll have to pay, usually through some crazy scheme like wiring money or buying a product, as ransom to get your files back to normal.<\/p>\n
Another instance: you\u2019re browsing for something, like a pretty beach scene to put up as your computer wallpaper. You\u2019ll find one you like and click to download it, only to have the same problem.<\/p>\n
Sometimes hackers may break into your system in one of these ways just to prove that they can, and then demand money to avoid an attack. Or they may do something that will embarrass you, like post adult content on your business website, to get you to pay quickly.<\/p>\n
Ransomware attacks are equal opportunity\u2014neither PCs nor Macs are safe. Therefore, you need to be very careful about what you open. If you don\u2019t recognize the incoming address on a piece of email, don\u2019t open it! In addition, if an email is masked, meaning you can\u2019t tell who it is from, don\u2019t open that either. If it turns out you delete something that you should have kept, the sender will reach out to you via phone or regular mail eventually. Better to delete something you need than open something you don\u2019t need that will give you the huge headache of a computer disaster.<\/p>\n
The good news is that you don\u2019t need to install any special products to protect your computers from these issues. Just be sure that you have a firewall in place, you are using the most updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and you have a pop-up blocker. Also, watch what you download\u2014software that doesn\u2019t come from a trusted source can be the thing that brings your system down.<\/p>\n
The key is awareness. Don\u2019t be in such a rush that you don\u2019t pay close enough attention to what you\u2019re doing. That\u2019s when you might hit accept when you should have hit delete. And if you\u2019re not sure if something is safe, stop what you\u2019re doing and ask someone who knows.<\/p>\n
If you have any questions about ransomware, contact FITECH today at (212) 223-TECH (8324), email info@fitechllc.com<\/a> or visit www.fitechllc.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We\u2019ve all heard of cases in the news, or on an episode of Law & Order, where a person is kidnapped and held for ransom. Someone wants money before they will return the person. Now, it\u2019s happening with computer files as well. Hackers are getting into computers, planting viruses that render the files on your 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