The internet can be a great resource. It’s informative, entertaining, and it helps to us communicate with friends, relatives and strangers alike. But it can also be a dangerous place if you don’t take proper steps to protect yourself from malicious threats like ransomware. Here are a few password recommendations and general computing tips to help keep you and your business safe from cyberattack.
Before you cancel a service or abandon an online account, change the password to something that is unrelated to your current password(s). Do this for any old email accounts, too.
Beware of common phishing attacks — If you get an email from one of your financial institutions asking you to confirm personal information, it’s probably fake. Your bank has all of your information securely stored. The only time you would need to confirm it is if you contacted them.
Email – Never send your credit card information or personal information such as your social security number in an email. Never open or click on email attachments from people you don’t know.
Applications – Keep your applications up to date. Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated applications.
IM – Use a nickname for your screen name and never send personal information through instant messaging programs.
Public Wi-Fi –It’s best to avoid using free, public Wi-Fi. But if you must, verify the name of the network with staff before connecting, and never share personal information.
Shopping – Only buy from reputable websites and never enter personal information unless you know the site is secure — make sure the URL of the checkout page begins with https rather than http.
Online gaming – Be careful when playing online games and when communicating with other players when gaming.
Kids –Always supervise your children’s online activity. Use parental control tools to keep them from accessing unsafe websites and sharing personal information.
Watch out for fake anti-virus — Be careful of pop-up windows that claim to have detected a virus on your computer and offer to remove it. In many cases, clicking on the link will launch a virus attack. Fake anti-virus often uses names that sound convincing, like “Anti-Virus Pro” or “Defender Pro.” Only use anti-virus from reputable vendors.
Disconnect the infected computer from the internet. Disconnect any computers connected to the infected computer. Discontinue any file sharing.
Identify where the infection happened using anti-virus software (if you have it).
Determine what form of ransomware you have — using a different computer, conduct a search based on what you see on your screen. Be careful not to download anything that comes up in search results.
Remove the malware from your system(s). Options for doing this include:
Restore your data from the last backup before the ransomware hit.