Ransomware continues to be a major threat and a new variant called Locky is spreading. It’s named “Locky” because it renames all your files with the .locky extension after it encrypts them. And in case you’re not familiar with this type of virus, the decryption key is offered for sale to you by the crooks for a nice profit that they make you pay using untraceable and very onerous bitcoin account transfers. Without the decryption key, there is no known way to crack and decrypt… your files.
So what are you to do? First and foremost, follow good security practices. Don’t open emails and especially attachments if you’re not 100% sure they’re legit. Use Anti-Spam to reduce the number of questionable emails that reach your inbox. Don’t follow any link on the internet that isn’t taking you to somewhere you recognize and want to go. Keep your computers and applications patched. Run a solid Anti-Virus and keep it up to date.
Even following best practices, infections still happen. Not all employess are as technically saavy or responsible as others and some regularly click where they shouldn’t. And we’ve all clicked too quickly or accidently or just ignored our instincts for one reason or another.
When an infection does occur, your only recovery option, short of paying the ransom, is to have backups of your files that you can restore. So make sure you’re running backups, they’re working and they are rotated offsite to provide a recovery option should you experience a more traditional disaster like accidental user deletion, theft or fire.
Exelos can help you assess your security and backup practices and guide you towards best practices suitable for you business and which will reduce your risk of downtime and financial loss from various threats and disasters. Ask about our Virtual CIO (Chief Information Officer) service. It’s just one aspect of our IT services tailored to meet every IT need of small business that sets Exelos apart.
To read more, check out this article for reputable anti-virus provider Sohpos.
