A very popular trend developing with Ransomware hackers is to extort money from businesses and corporations. What makes this easy is that it just takes one wrong email attachment to be opened on one computer in the system.
Half an hour after that wrong email attachment is opened, every single computer on that network will be encrypted. That is what I would call a very serious loss of data right there. The only two options available to you in this instance are to either pay the ransom or to seek the assistance of a data recovery service.
Ransomware Email Scam
The most popular way to spread these infected files is by sending them from email addresses that appear to be very similar to the real thing.
For example, (name)@tdbank.com is a real address where (name)@td-bank.com is not.
The email from one of these ‘fake’ email accounts would look very much like you would expect the legitimate one to appear. It will contain headers, pictures, logos, and signatures in the email along with names and phone numbers.
However, this type of email will also contain an attachment and will read something like this:
“Hello. It’s (name) from TD and I have an invoice that we received from you that we require some clarification on.”
If you happened to have any business dealings with TD in the past, including having sent a document of some kind. Chances are high that you will open the attachment.
The attachment, by the way, will be your ordinary .docx Word document with a little sneaky thing enabled – macro.
As soon as you open that seemingly legit document file, the macro is executed within the file and will proceed to do what it was created to do. It will go on and infect and encrypt your files on the computer and the network it belongs to.
This would be a catastrophic disaster in any office environment.
There are also a number of other ways in which Ransomware can encrypt files on a computer. Here is a link that will give you more information on the most common methods used for Ransomware infection.
So, what can you do to avoid getting infected with Ransomware?
Well, there are a handful of things you can do to be proactive and protect your work environment. These guidelines should also be followed by each and every user on the network. Remember, all it takes is one wrong file to be opened on a single computer in an office network environment to infect the entire network.
1. Untrusted Source(s)
Never, under any circumstances, should you download or open any file that comes from an untrusted source. Know which sources are ‘safe’ and trusted (contacts you have had been in communication within the past) by checking email addresses very carefully.
2. Internet Source(s)
Never, under any circumstances, should you ever download a file of any kind from the internet that comes from a source you do not trust or appears to be from a fishy source or website. Trust your gut on this. If the source or website gives you a bad vibe, don’t proceed any further.
3. Firewall
Protect your computer with current, up-to-date firewall protection. Keep it running 24/7 and update it whenever a new version is released. These updates often come about following the release of a new virus or infection and will contain a patch to prevent it from causing damage.
4. Antivirus
Also, keep the office environment protected with another layer of protection in the form of antivirus programs. Keep this current and up-to-date installing updates as they become available. Also, keep the antivirus program running 24/7 and preferably first on your network.
Finally, and this is probably one of the most important steps, is to use common sense and stay professional when operating any computer equipment in an office network environment. As stated, just one tiny error in judgment can result is a disastrous event that will expand to include far more than just you and your workstation.
The best way to avoid inadvertently setting off a chain reaction that envelopes the entire building by encrypting and infecting all computers on the network is to beware. Also, be aware. Hackers are very, very ingenious and as a result, have come up with ways to ‘trap’ you if you are not paying full attention to what you are doing while using a company computer.
It is easy to zip through numerous emails just to get through them and on to other work tasks. This is why emails are such a popular target for Ransomware. When going through your daily load of inbox material, take a little more time to carefully screen the email addresses these are coming from. You could save yourself and your office a lot of inconvenience by being wise when on your work computer.