What is ‪‎Ransomware‬?

Ransomware is a form of‪malwarethat effectively holds a user's computerhostageuntil a"ransom" feeis paid.

Everyone has the same questions when they first hear about Ransomware.Is there any other way to get rid of it besides paying the ransom? No — it appears to be technologically impossible for anyone to decrypt your files once the latest generation Ransomware has locked them.

So what can we all do to protect ourselves against ‪Ransomware?

Ransomware viruses infiltrate your computer when you click on a legitimate-looking e-mail attachment or through existing malware lurking on your hard drive, and once unleashed it instantly encrypts all your files

• Ensure that your antivirus package is updated with the latest version and latest virus signatures - eScan's mail scanner will delete / quarantine any attachments with a .scr file hidden inside .cab/.zip/.rar attachments.
• Keep your computers backed up on an independent drive or by using a cloud backup.
• Take those software update and “patch” alerts seriously.
• Create a 'restore point' for Windows that can be used to restore the system to a known clean state.
• Beware of the Attachment ! (Remember: Brand-name businesses like SARS and banks will rarely send you attachments). Exercise extreme caution with such emails, never open an attachment from an email asking for verification. Even if an e-mail seems to come from a familiar address, it does not mean it actually is sent by that person or company - this is called e-mail spoofing.
• When you need to access a secure site, type in the address instead of clicking on the link in an e-mail or document. If you have to click on the link, put your mouse cursor on the link in the e-mail or document to see whether it is actually the address it should be. More info about this when we address Phishing e-mails and websites.