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Ransomware

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supertool73 View Drop Down
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    Posted: August/15/2017 at 12:43
I may have posted about his before, can't remember.  But just wanting to put out some info.

Ransomware is when a cyber criminal (aka douchebag) installs software on your computer that locks (encrypts) your computer and then you have to pay them money so get the key to unlock it.  Most of the time this software comes from an email.  Phishing emails are what they are called.  It can be a hyperlink in the content of the email, an attachment like a pdf, word doc, an image file like a picture and a huge number of other file types.  All you have to do it click on one of those and boom your computer is infect.  All the fancy anti malware software, firewalls, etc cannot stop it. 

Once they get it installed they can do anything they want to your computer.  They can see everything on it.  They can download all your saved passwords, turn on your webcam and see and listen.  Anything you can do on your computer they can do.

You can also get infected by going to websites, doing google searches and  clicking on links you are not sure of.  Going to google images and finding pictures.  Simply clicking on a picture to look at it can infect your computer. 

If you don't know who the email is from and you are not expecting it.  Do not open it, do not click on the links, and do not open the attachments. 

There is no way to get the Ransonware software off without the key to unlock it.  And you woudl have to pay the fine to get it back if you want your data.  Many people have tremendous amounts of data on their computers.  Pictures, music, tax files, videos, movies, porn stashes, etc etc. 

Make sure you have off line backups of everything.  Update your backups often and don't keep that backup device connected to your computer or online all the time. 

I just had a customer call me and she was going through all her emails and opened one whom she did not know and boom, her computer locked up and she has to pay $500 to get it unlocked.  She has no backups of anything.  Really a crappy deal.

So be careful out there and stay safe.  Stop, look and think, before you click on anything. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 14:00
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 15:16
Our biggest fear here at the College District is one or more of our servers getting infected by ransomware.


This happened at one of the Kali colleges down south earlier this year.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/sd-me-college-ransomware-20170110-story.html


I was successful at removing the FBI virus from a couple of computers awhile back but it took a lot of work.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 16:49
I've been using Trend Micro Internet Security. Highly recommended by a friend. Any other opinions welcomed.
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supertool73 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 16:57
Tradition security programs will not catch these new strains of ransomware and malware.  There are security experts that say these traditional security programs are pointless to even use anymore.  Most of them are not capable of stopping ransomware.  They may not even notify you after you have been infected.  A lot of the strains can hide themselves. 

Some of the training I have been through the guy had the most current Norton and McAfee installed on his laptops.  He would then infect himself through an email and they would not catch it or even notify him of a problem.

There is new stuff out called endpoint security and they are supposed to be better, but still lacking.  We use Vipre with Endpoint security at work.  But we have not had any issues with Ransomware.  We have been pounding training into everyone for the last year and our employees are very aware of this risk and it is helping a lot.

The end user is either the biggest risk or the one that will stop infections from happening.  
Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 20:02
Good information, Jason! Thanks for the reminder!  If you recall, SWFA's server got hit by ransomware a couple years ago.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 20:22
I've had good luck with ESET's security products and they seem to be reasonably effective against randomware.

Then again, this is not really my field.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 20:29
If I get rid of my old computer and get a new one can I start over again?   Bucky




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 20:30
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/16/2017 at 21:22
A good firewall like PAN that filters on layer-7 (north-south) and network application like Cisco ISE (east-west) helps but this is for enterprise solutions, we use both to support three colleges. At the desktop we use Sophos.

At home I use Advast, Malwarebytes, make sure I back my stuff up often and don't surf questionable sites or email. 


“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2017 at 09:18
I remember when computers were wonder machines that filled large rooms and were only used by highly trained experts. I liked it better then. Don't like smart phones either.
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