For Windows users, tips on fighting ransomware attacks

Gandalf_The_Grey

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Apr 24, 2016
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The ransomware attack that shut down a major pipeline in the US offers some lessons for Windows users looking to keep themselves safe.
Bottom line, don’t make it easy for attackers to turn you into another ransomware statistic. Here’s what you can do to lessen the chances of an attack”
  • Make sure you do good backups on a regular basis and have multiple external hard drives that you rotate to ensure at least one copy of your files is offline at all times.
  • Keep your browsers up to date and ensure that they update independently of the operating system.
  • Ensure your email has good filtering, either from your ISP (if it provides your email) or by using Gmail or Outlook.com.
  • Consider adding Duo Authentication as two-factor authentication for remote access if you use remote desktop protocol in a small business. And don’t allow merely a password between you and the outside world when it comes to remote access.
These may not ensure you’re completely safe from ransomware, but they should at least make it less likely you’ll be hit.
New trick of the day and hot on Twitter:
Another trick you can use to try to fend off attackers is to install the Russian keyboard on your system. While the Darkside ransomware did not specifically check for its instance, Russian-based malware often will check to see where it’s being installed and avoid Russian-based systems. (You don’t have to use the keyboard, and you’ll end up with “EN” on your system tray. But it might just trick attackers into passing you by.)
Read the full article here:
 

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