7 Ways to Protect Against Ransomware

Ransomware is one of the fastest-growing threats on the internet. There have been several high-profile ransomware attacks on hospitals, transportation systems, and other critical infrastructure in just the last few years. If you’re using a public WiFi network, connecting to the internet at a coffee shop, or even just opening a document on your computer, your computer may be vulnerable.

In the last few years, the number of people who have seen the effects of ransomware has skyrocketed. The malware will lock a device or a user’s files and not unlock them until a ransom is paid. If a ransom is not paid, the files will be lost forever, and the device will become unusable. These types of hacks are not uncommon, but the repercussions of the hack can be very costly. Also using VPN have a huge impact on this.

Also, Read How to Use Smart Tech Against Cybercrime

So, let’s focus on how we can protect our devices from ransomware.

7 Ways to Protect Against Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that encrypts your device and files and demands that you pay for a key to get them back. With the rise in cyberattacks, you should be proactive about protecting yourself and your company from ransomware.

Here are some tips to protect you from ransomware:

Backup Everything, Every day

These are the words to live by when preparing for ransomware. Why? If ransomware infects your organization, you may be able to recover some of your data if you have a recent backup. But if your data is already encrypted, you’re going to be out of luck.

Read This Also: 5 Common Types of Phishing Attacks

Don’t Click Suspicious Links or Ads

The best way to protect yourself against ransomware is not to click suspicious links or ads. The ransomware is typically delivered via an email attachment from a malicious actor or through a malicious link on the web. To protect yourself against ransomware, the US-CERT advises that you don’t click on suspicious links or ads.

Install an Antivirus Firewall

To protect against ransomware, install antivirus software on your computer and ensure it is up-to-date. Ensure to update the antivirus software to protect against the most recent versions of ransomware.

Keep Your Applications Secure

Keeping your software up to date with the latest security patches is important. Out-of-date software is more vulnerable to attack and can easily be exploited by ransomware or other malware. Software companies release security patches to fix known security vulnerabilities. If you do not install the security patches, your software is at risk of being compromised.

Whitelist Computer Applications

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your computer is infected with ransomware. One way to protect against ransomware is to allow computer applications that you trust. This reduces the chance that ransomware will be able to install itself. For example, if you use Microsoft Office, you need the Microsoft Office application to be allowed.

Develop a Disaster Recovery Plan

In the digital world, all data is subject to risk. Ransomware is one of the most popular methods of data theft, and when it comes to data, the last thing you want is to lose it. To protect against ransomware, a disaster recovery plan should be created to recover from a ransomware attack. The steps can be as simple as identifying the issue, backing up your data to a cloud or external hard drive, and cleaning the infected computer.

Open Email Attachments with Caution

One of the best ways to protect yourself from ransomware is to be cautious about opening email attachments. Many ransomware infections are spread through email attachments, so unless you are absolutely certain that an attachment is safe, do not open it.

Final Words

That is all from our round-up. To keep yourself safe on the web, these are the steps you need to follow. Moreover, you can use a reliable VPN like AdGuard to keep your device safe always. As part of its security features, AdGuard VPN offers encryption, AdGuard VPN protocol, kill switches, split tunneling, and IP leak protection. However, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from this type of hack. First, be wary when opening documents from unknown sources or emails. Personal documents are a popular target for ransom attacks, so if someone wants you to click on a link or download an attachment, it is likely part of a malicious attack. It’s usually best to avoid these types of links or emails altogether.