The FBI has issued new warnings about the latest ransomware that is infecting systems around the world. Ransomware is a type of infection that encrypts your files, making them unreadable, and in order to recover your data files you have to pay a fee to the hackers who created the virus. The latest ransomware is even more dangerous than before, because it tries to detect and delete backups that you might use to recover your infected files.
A recent story about a hospital in Los Angeles that was hit with ransomware has helped to spread awareness about this serious data risk: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/business/los-angeles-hospital-pays-hackers-17000-after-attack.html?_r=0. They ended up paying $17,000 in order to recover their data from the hackers.
These new ransomware infections are so bad that in most cases, there is absolutely no known way of decrypting the files to make them usable again without paying the ransom. In fact, even the FBI recommends just paying the fee, unless you have backups that you can recover your data from: https://securityledger.com/2015/10/fbis-advice-on-cryptolocker-just-pay-the-ransom/
The FBI is warning the public to take the following safety measures:
- Ensure anti-virus software is up-to-date.
- Implement a data back-up and recovery plan to maintain copies of sensitive or proprietary data in a separate and secure location. Backup copies of sensitive data should not be readily accessible from local networks.
- Scrutinize links contained in e-mails, and do not open attachments included in unsolicited e-mails.
- Only download software – especially free software – from sites you know and trust.
- Enable automated patches for your operating system and Web browser.
