AMSHIRE WARN – DON’T LET ‘RANSOMEWARE’ KIDNAP YOUR DATA

Stockport based Amshire IT Solutions is alerting business and domestic IT users to the increased threat of data kidnap on our compters as one of the latest malware additions, Ransomware, can prove to be even more alarming and potentially disastrous. 

KEEP SAFE

This ransomware is particularly nasty because infected Users are in danger of losing their personal files forever!  Spread through email attachments, this ransomware has been seen targeting companies through phishing attacks.

        In recent years we’ve all become aware of the threat
        from Malware on our computer systems. Usually
        Malware can do trivial things such as open pop-ups
        when browsing the internet, redirect you to different
        sites or install software on your computer which
        looks genuine, then proceeds to say you have to pay
        for a license to actually use it.

        More recently we have seen an increase in a type of
        Malware called Ransomware. Most of the time this
        displays a message on your screen accusing you of
        accessing an illegal site of one type or another. It
        then, tries to charge you a fee to remove the
        software.

It may also encrypt files and demand a fee or ransom to ‘unlock’ the files!

However, this software can be removed relatively easily should a computer become infected.

BACK UP YOUR FILES

BUT one of the most important tasks you can do to protect your files is BACK-UP – make a copy of all your folders, photgraphs and documents and STORE them either on an external hardrive or a USB stick. 

BE VIGILANT WITH EMAIL

If you receive an email from someone you do not recognise or you are suspicious of it, do not open it or any attachments. If you are on a website that prompts you to download software don’t, as 99% of the time it is some form of Malware.

If you think you have opened an email and possibly clicked on a file or attachment and you realise that you should not have clicked on the attachment or link, the first thing you should do is to remove the network cable, or disable the wireless connection. This allows you to minimise the potential damage.

Then you should call for IT Support immediately so the issue can be investigated checking to see if the system has been compromised. If you are ever in doubt please don’t hesitate to call your IT Support engineers.

If in doubt contact Amshire – we are happy to provide advice to keep you safe