What are ransomware viruses and how can you protect yourself from them? Experts from the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo warn that an epidemic of ransomware viruses may occur in Russia in 2021.
Hundreds of thousands of Russians can become victims of ransomware or ransomware viruses. This is predicted by experts from the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo. According to the organization, the popularity of these malicious programs is growing rapidly.
What is a ransomware virus?
An ransomware or ransomware virus is a malicious program that, when it enters a computer, attacks critical system partitions with documents, tables, images, etc. Then the virus encrypts all files of this type and deprives the owner of access to them. The attackers offer the victim to pay money in bitcoins to restore access to the data.
Who is making the attack?
Ransomware attacks are often carried out by non-professional hackers who have rented ransomware.
Are ransomware attacks carried out in Russia?
The ransomware attack mechanism has been known since the early 2000s, but they became widespread several years ago. In 2017, three ransomware viruses appeared at once – WannaCry, Petya and Bad Rabbit, which together attacked hundreds of thousands of computers and strategic objects.
Over the past year, the number of ransomware viruses has grown 10 times, according to data from cybersecurity experts from FortiGuard. Experts from the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo warn that in the coming months the spread of these viruses in Russia may acquire the character of an epidemic.
In May 2021, experts from the cybersecurity company Group IB reported on attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation by the OldGremlin ransomware group. They also warned that a wave of ransomware attacks in the CIS is expected by the end of the year.
How to prevent infection with a ransomware virus?
Recommendations on how not to get infected with a dangerous ransomware virus were given by Sergey Kuzmenko, senior specialist in testing digital products of Roskachestvo:
1.Do not follow suspicious links from emails and instant messengers, do not open files if you are not sure of their sender;
2. use antivirus software on your computer and smartphone, update it regularly and check your device for viruses;
3. do not use other people's flash cards and removable disks;
4. regularly back up important data, store it in the cloud or on external removable drives;
5. Update the device software, especially the operating system, as viruses can spread automatically, exploiting vulnerabilities in the system architecture.
What if the ransomware has already attacked?
If your device is attacked by a ransomware virus, the Roskachestvo expert advises:
1.Do not pay the ransom in any way.
There is no guarantee that an attacker will regain access to the data. He can also copy information and continue to blackmail by publishing it on the Web;
2. disconnect the computer from the network, or better, disconnect the entire electrical network in the house;
3. Contact your IT specialists.
There are decryption programs for many well-known ransomware viruses. An IT specialist needs to determine the type of virus and use a decoder against it, if it exists.
However, the probability of success is not great and no one can give guarantees of system recovery. You need to mentally prepare yourself for the loss of data encrypted by the ransomware virus.
