Since early Friday morning, reports have been coming in about a massive ransomware attack sweeping through Windows PCs in Europe.|The National Health Service in England has had numerous hospitals and doctor’s offices hit, and a number of private companies have reported a similar attack.
According to reports from some companies, systems in the US are starting to see the attack, and IT departments are urging employees to shut down any “non-essential” systems to avoid infection. – (Source: BRG)
How Can You Avoid Having Your Data Taken Hostage?
You avoid ransomware the same way you avoid any malware infection: By being careful. While that’s not always easy, there are things you can do to steer clear of problems.
- Don’t casually click a link inside an email; instead, type the web address directly into your browser.
- Never open an attachment unless you were expecting to receive it and you’re certain of what it is.
- Don’t spend time in the disreputable corners of the internet that specialize in risqué content or pirated movies; you can get infected simply by visiting a dodgy site.
- Never install software just because a web site tells you to do it.
- And always keep a backup copy of all your personal files on a separate drive or with a “cloud”-based backup service. That way, if the worst happens, you’ll always have access to your most important data.