You may have seen the news today. Criminal hackers have released a new strain
of ransomware that spreads itself automatically across workstations in a network,
causing another ransomware scare across the globe. Experts believe the ransomware
was first distributed via an auto update mechanism built into a popular Ukrainian
Accounting software package.
Once companies have been hit, this particular virus is self-spreading.
This means that employees in your company did not even have to open a spam email
or visit an infected website! That is what makes this particular outbreak very
devastating.
That said – you still want to instruct everyone you know and those that work for
you to be very careful when you get an email with an attachment you did not ask
for. If there is a .zip file in the attachment, do not click on it but delete the
whole email.
Remember: “When in doubt, throw it out!”
This particular ransomware strain also shows that hackers REALLY want to target
businesses – especially companies that have the treasure chest of data they want.
Why? They can sell that data! Social security numbers, birth dates, etc are all
very valuable to hackers.
The Impact:
This particular virus strain is called “Petya” and it asks for money via the anonymous
currency “bitcoin” from victims to decrypt their computers. This monster is not
as big as the Wanna Cry ransomware from a few weeks ago, but it has already spread
across 6 different countries.
What is ransomware?
What should I do to stay protected and avoid infection?
1. Run an antivirus and internet security program. P3C Technologies offers protection
software. But – the best antivirus only takes you so far and you can still infect
yourself, so…
2. Make sure your computers are updated with the latest security updates from Microsoft.
We offer our business clients this as a service. If interested, contact us for
a quote.
3. BACKUP, then BACKUP AGAIN, then BACKUP YOUR COMPUTER AGAIN! Most often, the only
recovery method from a ransomware attack is restoring a computer or server from
a backup. If you have no backup and disaster recovery strategy, you need one…like…yesterday.
4. Have a data security and disaster recovery strategy. We at P3C Technologies
can assist you with this if you need it.
5. Train your employees, family, and friends to be vigilant and skeptical of anything
new that comes in via email, social media, or other communication methods. P3C
Technologies offers a training program like this and we can proactively test your
staff to see how they do.
What to do if you have fallen victim to the scam:
Immediately quarantine your computer by turning it off and unplugging it. Have
your computer checked out by a professional, and check your backups as that may
be the only way to get your data back. Currently there is not a known decryption
method to get files back from an infected computer.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and pretty much every security firm out
there recommends NOT paying the ransom. Why not?
1. One in four do not get their data unlocked even after paying the ransom
2. Paying the ransom indicates to the hackers that your data is valuable and that
you will pay to get it back. I guarantee you will become a repeat target if you
pay a data ransom.
If you have more questions on what ransomware is, how you can protect yourself,
and what we can do to help – feel free to contact us.
Thanks for reading and for your continued business.
Brad Otto
P3C Technologies
P3C Technologies LLC
266.423.6267 x888 | help@p3ctech.com | www.p3ctech.com