Top Internet Security Says “New Ransomware Coming”

Top internet security firm Avast announces imminent Locky ransomware attack. Read on to learn more about how to protect your business.

Avast a leading internet security company announced via their blog that they expect a new wave of ransomware attacks from the Locky ransomware strain. Is your business safe?

All internet security companies have a test lab where they study internet threats so that they can help thwart the technology evil. At the Avast test lab, the experts discovered a pattern in the when Locky ransomware attacks occur. They have announced via their blog that a new attack is imminent.

How Does Avast Know?

Basically, their warning comes from a drop in the number of reported attacks from Locky. Overtime, the number of attacks per week from a pattern and when there have been periods of time where the attacks are quiet history shows that a major attack follows. Right now, we are experiencing a period of calm that does not match previous holiday Locky trends.

There are many reasons why this calm could be occurring, but Avast is erring on the side of caution and sounding the alarm.

The Deal with Technology

Technology changes quickly and even ransomware needs to evolve, or it becomes ineffective. While Avast discusses many reasons why there could be a pause in the Locky attacks their suspect that Locky developers are updating the ransomware to make it more efficient.

If that is true, then we should expect a new attack with an improved form of ransomware.

The Onus and The Cure

For the time being, there is no real cure that stops all forms or ransomware. The trouble is that they evolve to overcome the current standard in defenses. So while most of us hope that there is a solution, and there is, it may not be what we expect.

The answer is that the onus remains on individual computer users and businesses to enter the online world with caution and apply a best-practices approach to internet activities.

The trouble with just being cautious is that ransomware has already evolved to infect legitimate sites. You no long have to just open a link in an email to activate ransomware. Instead, you might click on a link that is infected on a site that is trusted.

Ransomware locks your computer so that you cannot access the file and you must pay a ransom to regain access. For a business, that can mean an excessive loss of data and income.

Part of the solution to decreasing the risk of ransomware includes:

• Utilize the cloud storage for data.
• Installing and actively using a data backup service or program.
• Initiate a “suspicious attachment” protocol and educate staff about the risks of attachments.
• Conscientiously ensure that your internet security is regularly updated.
• Ensure that security patches and program patches are installed when available.
• Avast recommends disabling Microsoft Office Macros, especially as they pertain to emails.

If you are one of the many people who just gave a huge sigh because all of this is now a burden, then {email} us. We are Sensible Systems, LLC. and we provide IT solutions to businesses in Littleton. For faster responses phone: (877) 773-6797

We are a Managed IT company, and we help businesses just like yours to reduce the risk of Malware, Virus, and Ransomware. We are happy to answer your questions and provide answers that are unique to your business model. {email} or {phone] are the fastest ways to reach us.