Ransom attacks - what should you do? - Active IT 

You will no doubt have seen or heard of the high-profile attack that has affected the NHS and tens of thousands of organisations globally. It’s a ransom attack by malware called WannaCry which encrypts all the files on a computer and demands a ransom payment before allowing access again.

This particular attack has been carried by a worm, which means that once you have an infected machine within an organisation it will hunt for other machines to infect on the same network, rapidly spreading itself to bring a whole network to a halt.

The threat of attack is real for all of us, no-one is 100% safe. There are steps that can be taken to minimise the risk though; we urge you to be aware and ensure that you are as protected as possible.

1.     Backup – when did you last actually check everything was backed up and could be restored?

2.     Anti-virus software is not enough – the sophisticated attacks now occurring require additional security software to protect against some types of ransomware attack.

3.     Software Updates – ensure your software is updated, this applies to all software, not just Windows! Older computers are especially vulnerable if they have out of date software such as Windows XP.

4.     Firewall – block network based attacks by refusing entry onto your computer, don’t rely on a network firewall.

5.     Vigilance – don’t just click on links in emails without checking they are genuine first, if you get an instruction or request to do something in an email then verify it first, don’t trust anything!

6.     Mobile devices – all devices are at risk of either being infected or acting as carriers of infection, minimise the risk by protecting mobile devices and ensuring that non-protected (personal) devices are segregated and not allowed onto a business network.

By Active IT - Professional IT and Broadcast giving peace of mind to you and your business http://www.activegroup.co.uk/