Ransomware Attack How To Safe

All about ransomware attacks

Ransomware has been in the news quite a bit in 2021. You may have heard stories of attacks on large companies, organizations, or government agencies, or perhaps you as an individual have experienced a ransomware attack on your own device. It’s a significant problem and a scary prospect to have all of your files and data held hostage until you pay up. If you want to know more about this threat, read on to learn about ransomware’s different forms, how you get it, where it comes from, who it targets, and ultimately, what you can do to protect against it.

What is ransomware? Ransomware definition

Ransom malware, or ransomware, is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access. The earliest variants of ransomware were developed in the late 1980s, and payment was to be sent via snail mail. Today, ransomware authors order that payment be sent via cryptocurrency or credit card, and attackers target individuals, businesses, and organizations of all kinds. Some ransomware authors sell the service to other cybercriminals, which is known as Ransomware-as-a-Service or RaaS.

How do I get ransomware?

There are several different ways that ransomware can infect your computer. One of the most common methods today is through malicious spam, or malspam, which is unsolicited email that is used to deliver malware. The email might include booby-trapped attachments, such as PDFs or Word documents. It might also contain links to malicious websites.

Malspam uses social engineering in order to trick people into opening attachments or clicking on links by appearing as legitimate—whether that’s by seeming to be from a trusted institution or a friend. Cybercriminals use social engineering in other types of ransomware attacks, such as posing as the FBI in order to scare users into paying them a sum of money to unlock their files.

Another popular infection method, which reached its peak in 2016, is malvertising. Malvertising, or malicious advertising, is the use of online advertising to distribute malware with little to no user interaction required. While browsing the web, even legitimate sites, users can be directed to criminal servers without ever clicking on an ad. These servers catalog details about victim computers and their locations, and then select the malware best suited to deliver. Often, that malware is ransomware.

Malvertising often uses an infected iframe, or invisible webpage element, to do its work. The iframe redirects to an exploit landing page, and malicious code attacks the system from the landing page via exploit kit. All this happens without the user’s knowledge, which is why it’s often referred to as a drive-by-download.

Types of ransomware

There are three main types of ransomware, ranging in severity from mildly off-putting to Cuban Missile Crisis dangerous. They are as follows:

Scareware

Scareware, as it turns out, is not that scary. It includes rogue security software and tech support scams. You might receive a pop-up message claiming that malware was discovered and the only way to get rid of it is to pay up. If you do nothing, you’ll likely continue to be bombarded with pop-ups, but your files are essentially safe.

A legitimate cybersecurity software program would not solicit customers in this way. If you don’t already have this company’s software on your computer, then they would not be monitoring you for ransomware infection. If you do have security software, you wouldn’t need to pay to have the infection removed—you’ve already paid for the software to do that very job.

Screen lockers

Upgrade to terror alert orange for these guys. When lock-screen ransomware gets on your computer, it means you’re frozen out of your PC entirely. Upon starting up your computer, a full-size window will appear, often accompanied by an official-looking FBI or US Department of Justice seal saying illegal activity has been detected on your computer and you must pay a fine. However, the FBI would not freeze you out of your computer or demand payment for illegal activity. If they suspected you of piracy, child pornography, or other cybercrimes, they would go through the appropriate legal channels.

Encrypting ransomware

This is the truly nasty stuff. These are the guys who snatch up your files and encrypt them, demanding payment in order to decrypt and redeliver. The reason why this type of ransomware is so dangerous is because once cybercriminals get ahold of your files, no security software or system restore can return them to you. Unless you pay the ransom—for the most part, they’re gone. And even if you do pay up, there’s no guarantee the cybercriminals will give you those files back.

Ransomware news

There have been a number of major ransomware attacks in 2021. Read the latest news on ransomware and ransomware attacks from Malwarebytes Labs:

10 Signs that your Phone has Spyware or Hacked

10 Signs that your Phone has Spyware or Hacked

Pegasus row has once again brought mobile spying fears to the fore. While ordinary netizens need not fear spying tools like Pegasus, there are other hacking and spying software and apps they need to be cautious of. While some of these apps try to steal financial information in your phone, some others try to seek complete control over the phone including photo gallery, calls, messages and more. These spying apps and tools by their very nature hide themselves inside the devices and cannot be easily found, there are signs that you can look for which tell you that you may be spied upon or your phone has been hacked. 

1. Phone's battery is draining faster than usual

_{If your phone's battery is draining faster than usual, malware and fraudulent apps may be using malicious code that tends to drain a lot of power. However, before you jump to conclusion, check the number of apps running in the background. Too many apps running in the background also eat battery. So, first close them and then monitor.}

2. See apps you didn't download

You notice apps on your smartphone that you don’t recognize or are sure you didn't download. This could be the work of a hacker or spyware.

3. Your phone has become slow

Your smartphone has suddenly become slow. It acts sluggish and uses way more resources and battery power. There may be stealth malware in the background.

4. Mobile data usage sees a spike

Your data usage has suddenly gone up. It is higher than normal. Malicious apps or software might be consuming your mobile data in the background as they track what your activities are.

5. Phone acting strangely

Your smartphone is acting weird. Apps crash unexpectedly or fail to load. Many sites look different than they usually do. This may be another telltale sign.

6. Strange pop-ups everywhere

You are noticing lots of pop-ups appearing on your screen this may be due to adware, a type of malicious software that inundates your device with ads. Never click on such links.

7. Notice photos and videos in your gallery that you don’t remember taking

You see photos and videos in your photo gallery that you don't remember taking. Be on the guard, as it's a sign that someone may have control over your camera.

8. Flash lighting on

The flash lighting goes on even when you are not using your phone is another sign to look out for. This may be because someone is remotely controlling your device.

9. Your phone gets hot

Phones can heat up during prolonged periods of use, like while gaming for hours, running navigation apps etc. However, if your phone is getting very hot even when you don't use it, there are good chances that hackers are at work

10. See log of texts or calls not made by you

You notice text or calls in your log that were not sent or made by you. See a lot of gibberish and unusual characters there. This is another likely sign.

Redmi Launch its First Laptop Tomorrow: Expected Features, Specifications

Redmi Launch its First Laptop Tomorrow: Expected Features, Specifications

Redmi is all set to launch its first laptop in India. The company will be conducting the launch event on 3 August. Redmibook laptop series was first introduced in 2019 in China and the product list has been expanding since then. Xiaomi has finally decided to launch the Redmi line-up of laptops in India and it is expected to sit below the Xiaomi Notebook range. The laptops will be aimed at the 'work from home' audience as well as for students and teachers for e-learning applications.

The new Redmibook will launch with a 15.6-inch screen that gets FullHD resolution. The laptop has been spotted in teasers shared by the company. In terms of design, Redmi is expected to opt for a low-profile minimalistic design. The Redmi branding will be present on the lid of the laptop as well as under the laptop screen. The device is expected to launch in a single Charcoal grey colour.

The laptop is expected to be priced aggressively considering the target audience and also to live up to the expectations from the Redmi brand. The laptop does feature considerable large bezels, especially in the bottom and top. However, the overall profile seems to be slim.

In terms of specifications, Redmi India is expected to give the device a Intel's 11th Gen Core i3 and Core i5 Tiger Lake processors. Additionally, the laptop is expected to get SSD storage in 512GB variant and 256GB variant. This will provide faster boot timing as well as general processing speed. Redmi might provide a 65W charger with the new laptop.