How much money do ransomware attackers typically demand?
In 2016, the average ransom paid to ransomware attackers was $679, although the amount demanded can range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. In some cases, the attackers may even demand payment in cryptocurrency, which can make it difficult to trace the transactions.
Ransomware attacks have become increasingly common in recent years, as cybercriminals have discovered that it can be an extremely profitable business. In many cases, the victims are businesses or organizations that cannot afford to lose access to their data or systems and are willing to pay the ransom to get them back.
The most common type of ransomware is known as crypto-ransomware, which encrypts the victim’s files and demands a ransom for the decryption key. Crypto-ransomware is usually spread through phishing emails or malicious websites that exploit vulnerabilities in the victim’s software.
Once the ransomware is installed on the victim’s computer, it will typically display a message demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. The attacker will usually provide a deadline for payment, and if the ransom is not paid by that time, the price will increase. Some ransomware will even delete the victim’s files if the ransom is not paid within a certain time period.
There are a few things that businesses and individuals can do to protect themselves from ransomware attacks. Firstly, they should ensure that their software is up to date and that all security patches have been installed. They should also have a good backup strategy in place so that they can recover their data if they do become a victim of a ransomware attack. Read Full Report
How can you tell if your computer has been infected with ransomware?
It’s becoming increasingly common for malware authors to use ransomware to encode a user’s data and demand payment for the key to decode it. While this type of attack can be devastating, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself and your computer.
The most obvious way to tell if your computer has been infected with ransomware is the sudden appearance of a message demanding payment for the decryption key. However, some attacks will encrypt your data without any warning. In these cases, you may notice that your files have been renamed with a new extension or that you can no longer access them.
If you suspect that your computer has been infected with ransomware, the first thing you should do is disconnect from the internet and disable any backups you have running. This will prevent the ransomware from encrypting your backups and will give you a better chance of recovering your data.
Next, you’ll need to identify the ransomware that’s responsible for the attack. This can be tricky, as there are many different strains of ransomware and they’re constantly evolving. However, there are several resources available that can help you identify the ransomware and find ways to remove it.
Once you’ve identified the ransomware, you’ll need to decide whether to pay the ransom or attempt to remove it yourself. If you have backups of your data, you may be able to restore your files without paying the ransom. However, if you don’t have backups or if the ransomware has encrypted your backups, you’ll need to weigh the risks of paying the ransom against the chances of successfully removing the ransomware yourself.
If you decide to pay the ransom, you should only do so using a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, as this will make it more difficult for the attackers to trace the payment. You should also be aware that there’s no guarantee that the attackers will actually provide you with the decryption key even if you do pay the ransom.
If you decide to attempt to remove the ransomware yourself, you should only do so if you’re confident in your ability to do so. There are many sophisticated strains of ransomware that can be very difficult to remove without causing further damage to your computer. If you’re not confident in your ability to remove the ransomware, you should seek help from a professional.
No matter which option you choose, it’s important to remember that you should never attempt to open an email attachment or click on a link from someone you don’t know. These are the most common ways that ransomware is spread, and even if you have the best antivirus software in the world, it won’t do you any good if you accidentally give the attackers a way to infect your computer.
We used malwarezero.org to write this article about ransomware. Original Article.