No More Ransom: Six years of public-private partnership

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https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/hit-ransomware-no-more-ransom-now-offers-136-free-tools-to-rescue-your-files

As the initiative turns six, over 10 million people have downloaded the decryption tools.

Ransomware attacks have been growing in number and severity for years, with headlines focused on ransom demands that have climbed to amounts once unthinkable. While the data is alarming, it does not mean that you are helpless against the high-tech extortionists orchestrating these attacks. The No More Ransom initiative offers over a hundred free decryption tools to rescue your hostage files.

Celebrating its sixth anniversary today, No More Ransom provides keys to unlocking encrypted files as well as information on how to avoid getting infected in the first place.

Launched by Europol, the Dutch National Police (Politie) and IT security companies, the No More Ransom portal initially offered four tools for unlocking different types of ransomware and was available only in English.

Six years later, No More Ransom offers 136 free tools for 165 ransomware variants, including Gandcrab, REvil/Sodinokibi, Maze/Egregor/Sekhmet and more. Over 188 partners from the public and private sector have joined the scheme, regularly providing new decryption tools for the latest strains of malicious software.

To date, the scheme has so far helped over 1.5 million people successfully decrypt their devices without needing to pay the criminals. The portal is available in 37 languages in order to better assist victims of ransomware across the globe.

The best cure against ransomware remains diligent prevention. You are strongly advised to:

• Regularly back up data stored on your electronic devices.
• Watch your clicks – do you know where a link will take you?
• Do not open attachments in e-mails from unknown senders, even if they look important and credible.
• Ensure that your security software and operating system are up to date.
• Use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your user accounts.
• Limit the possibility to export large amounts of corporate data to external file exchange portals.
• If you become a victim, do not pay! Report the crime and check No More Ransom for decryption tools.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/hit-ransomware-no-more-ransom-now-offers-136-free-tools-to-rescue-your-files