What is Ransomware?

Most of us are aware of ransom in normal terms. What about ransom in digital?

One of the current trends of hackers to easily earn money is through ransomware. It involves the process of preventing the users to access their own data.

Can’t get the whole picture? Let me help you.

Consider yourself waking up with tons of pending work (that’s actually me every time) and in a sleepy head you boot on your laptop to do the work. You see a screen with a message to transfer money to this particular bank account with a warning if not all your ultra precious data will be deleted. The worst part is you have to take care of the clock that’s ticking fast. If you don’t transfer the money to the estimated account your entire data will get deleted without a byte left. Almost all of us have both professional and personal data stored in our personal computer. Imagine yourself losing all the data. Frightening isn’t it?

It can be implemented on laptops , phones , tablets and in many other gadgets as well.

So its right in my computer can I crack it?

The answer is complicated. Ransomware can be done by a number of processes .Some methods have weak encryption which are easier to crack meanwhile some versions can’t be cracked at any means. Earlier ransomwares was easy to defeat but recent versions were bit easier to crack. But recent versions turn the power of modern encryption against us.. These encryptions were originally designed to protect our files and communication by using special algorithms (like scrambling files). So breaking a strong ransomware is technically breaking our own encryption system this on the other side has a deadly dangerous crisis So they have taken our security system and turned that into their weapon. So we are cornered.

   

  I can sense your question. How to prevent this type of critical attack?

1. Always have your antivirus and firewall updated. I would personally recommend having two powerful antiviruses.

2. Hackers are after your data .So have regular backup in a separate storage device which is not connected to the internet.

3. Don’t click on unwanted links inside mails , messages etc . Enable popup blockers to prevent accidentally clicking on ads

4.As soon as you are affected by ransomware disconnect from the internet .Hackers leak your beneficial data(consider your personal images or companies tender details).Black markets is fueled by these data.

5.There are also number of companies who deal with ramsomware ,you can approach them.

Author :  Sandy