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Three Known Ransomware Threats to Be Wary Of
IT services in Houston are increasingly important for nothing more than basic security. You’ve likely heard it said that cybercrime is at an all-time high, but do you realize what the full implications of that are? It turns out cybercrime is a 500 billion dollar industry— that’s half a trillion, and it’s growing. One of the most affecting areas of this digital scourge comes from ransomware.
If you’ve been bitten by the ransomware bug, you won’t be able to access your files unless you pay the pernicious hackers who have afflicted you a fee. That fee is getting bigger as hackers realize what they can get away with. Where before you might get stung for a few hundred, these days, your business can expect to be undermined to the tune of $1,000 or more. Likely more— especially if you have a somewhat successful operation.
And don’t think your business’s size will keep you safe. Small to medium-sized businesses are favorite targets of cybercriminals employing ransomware because such operations are at a perfect balance of lax security and vulnerability. With all this in mind, three known ransomware scourges that have hit the digital streets since 2016 include:
- CryptFile 2
- ROI Locker (Manamecrypt.A/Cryptohost)
- BRLock
CryptFile 2
This pernicious program will send your files to “the crypt,” as it were. It will search your computer for valuable files, encrypt them, then demand payment in bitcoin, of all things. IT services companies in Houston can back up your data so that if you notice this ransomware, you can do a system reboot at the time before the malware was downloaded, and you won’t have to pay the ransom. Seriously, who carries bitcoin around? Even if you’re able to pay the ransom, you likely won’t have this obscure digital currency available; and that alone is a pretty substantial hassle.
ROI Locker, AKA Manamecrypt.A/Cryptohost
ROI Locker will usually infect your computer through “rogue” software sites which don’t feature mainstream software solutions. Torrent programs are notorious for downloading this onto your hard drive, so if you find yourself infected, figure out when you downloaded the torrent file, and then back up from before that time.
BRLock
This is a ransomware program that primarily targets Russian users. It will shut down your computer then reboot with a screen that fills your whole monitor, and demands the unwieldy sum of 1,000 Rubles or about $15 American.
Getting Yourself Protected
Ransomware is continuously developed by cybercriminals who understand that a quick buck can be made in a nigh-untraceable way through hacking shenanigans. The market is expanding, and more ransomware programs are being developed all the time— this is likely where most of the money in the cybercrime world comes from: blackhat developers designing viruses on the sly. Your best bet is security through an organization that understands the atmosphere and is committed to maintaining the sanctity of your files. To that end, we at ICS offer top-tier cybercrime prevention and recovery solutions. For an IT services in Houston designed to safeguard you, contact us.
Further reading
ICS is a Texas-based 40-year-old technology company specializing in Managed IT, VoIP, Video Conferencing and Video Surveillance solutions for US and International businesses. ICS has over 4000 regional installations and specializes in multi-site businesses between 25 and 2500 employees. ICS’s customers enjoy the experience of ICS’s Total Care program which provides clients flat fee services with obsolescence and growth protection. Whether a customer elects to deploy their IT, Video Conferencing or VoIP in the cloud or on the customer’s premise, ICS can provide a full turn-key solution for our clients under one flat monthly fee.