Ransomware

What is it?

Ransomware is a type of malware that will either threatens to do one of two things;

1 - Publish the victim's data online.
2 - Block access to the machine unless a ransom is paid.

The most recently published incident of ransomware was the 2017 global outbreak of the "WannaCry" ransomware worm. This left parts of the NHS very vulnerable and it affected more than 150 countries worldwide with over 200,000 victims and more than 300,000 computers infected until it was stopped four days later.

How to protect yourself?

• Always keep your operating system and any software installed updated.
• Lookout for unexpected emails, especially if they contain links and/or attachments.
• Be wary of any Microsoft Office attachment that asks you to enable "macros" to view the data.
• Backup your data using an external hard drive or cloud service.