BusinessNewsDay – In this digital era, it is certain that almost everyone spends their time surfing the internet. With so many users surfing and doing activities on the internet, at that time many attacks were carried out by unscrupulous individuals and parties. We need to be aware of this and be careful when accessing it, especially if you have your own website.
One of the attacks that is currently rife and attacks many users is ransomware. Some of you may already know and understand what ransomware is.
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However, it is also possible that there are those who do not know what ransomware is and how to deal with it if suddenly your site or network is attacked by ransomware. You don’t need to worry, below we will explain clearly what ransomware is and how to prevent it. Check it out!
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malware that will initially infect and attack computer users. After infecting a computer, this attack will track and encrypt the user’s data with a unique secret code that is only known by the creator of an ransomware attack or can also be called a hacker.
And as the name implies, this attack will take computer user data hostage and ask for a ransom alias ransom if the victim wants to restore or decrypt the data so that it returns to normal. Isn’t it cool, guys? Only with technology can you be blackmailed by unknown persons.
Well, it is not only individuals who are likely to be affected by this ransomware attack. Large agencies such as companies engaged in various kinds and types of fields are also very likely to be affected by this attack.
6 Ways to Prevent Ransomware
Below are some defense measures on how to prevent ransomware attacks that you can implement to increase your defense against all kinds of infections and attacks!
Data Backup
As a computer user as well as an active internet user, I agree that the most important thing to protect is data. Because if a hacker manages to attack you with a ransomware infection, the first thing they will do is access and hold your data hostage which will then blackmail you to redeem it.
Therefore, to stay alert and be careful of the dangers of this ransomware attack is to backup data. Backup data without connecting to the internet if you have been attacked by ransomware to save other data. Also get used to regular backups after doing something and can back up your data on drives, cloud, dropbox and other devices.
Automatically Update the Operating System and Applications
FYI, Microsoft does security updates every second Tuesday of every month. Make sure you pay attention to the schedule because in general the computer will restart if there is an update to the operating system.
Just like updating the operating system, updating all programs installed on the computer is also one of the important things in preventing ransomware attacks that are currently rife.
Popular applications or programs that are often attacked are applications such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Internet Explore, Adobe Flash Player, Java, and popular freeware such as download managers and the like.
For that, keep your operating system and applications up to date so that they have fewer vulnerabilities to attack and exploit.
Install Antivirus Software
In this step, try to install an antivirus that has the ability to identify ransomware without depending on updates or operating system updates. Also whitelist software which will automatically prevent unauthorized applications from running in the first place. If you already have an antivirus, update it regularly to avoid this attack.
But again, don’t rely too much on antivirus, guys~ keep backing up the data in the first point as the main protection.
Be Careful When Downloading
This one point is very important for you guys to apply to prevent ransomware attacks! Be careful with anything you open on the internet, from websites to downloading things.
Don’t carelessly run downloads, attachments, or files that you don’t know are secure. If you feel the file is not reliable, it’s better not to download it. Moreover, if you want to install a piece of software and are asked to give administrative rights, never run the command if you don’t really understand what it does.
Avoid Random Email Clicks
One of the main ways ransomware attacks is through clicks made by internet users. Can be from the website or email. Well, you should avoid clicking on emails that contain links that you don’t know who the sender is or links that you don’t know. It could be from an email from someone who wants to attack you and ask for a ransom. So avoid that, don’t even download attachments from that email.
Disable File Sharing
Finally, make sure you have disabled file sharing or the SMB File Sharing feature when not in use. Because this ransomware spreads over the network, it’s best to just turn it off as a precaution. With this you have avoided as much as possible giving full sharing rights to the network.
Read Also: Five Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Cyber Insurance Policy
That’s an explanation and some ways to prevent ransomware attacks that are currently rampant and happen to several people around us. Hopefully this article is useful, guys and don’t forget to apply the steps that the admin has told you above!