How to prevent ransomware

The cartoon video tells an entertaining story about how ransomware enters an organisation - and what can happen next. And it gives clear instructions: what to do and what to avoid. Above is a short excerpt.

A catastrophic attack

The scale of ransomware attacks has exploded and there is reason to fear ransomware attacks. They can go horribly wrong. One example is the worldwide WannaCry attack in the spring of 2017. It was costly, unpleasant and in some cases catastrophic for those affected.

Big business

There are millions of ransomware attacks worldwide. And the hackers are raking in billions of dollars every year.

Employees are essential in the fight to curb cybercrime. As malware continues to be designed to better evade antivirus and slip through the system unnoticed, the judgement of the individual employee is more important than ever.

Ransomware is out of control

The bad news is that ransomware works. And that ransomware generates considerable revenue for the perpetrators, says Jan Johannsen, Head of Security at Check Point Denmark in a press release.

→ More on Version2.dk (article in Danish language)

The scope of ransomware has exploded - it is almost unmanageable. Danish companies were exposed to more than 150,000 attacks in 2016.

→ More on Computerworld.dk (article in Danish language)

Definition of ransomware

A type of malware used to blackmail the owner of the infected device into paying a ransom to regain access to their own data. The word is composed of the English words "ransom" (ransom) and "software" (programme code).

Ransomware knowledge for employees

Ransomware is washing over us like a wave. Your workplace has probably already experienced a ransomware attack, and you may have seen parts of your IT system locked down with a demand from cybercriminals that you will only get your materials back if you pay a large ransom.

Ransomware (most often) enters IT systems when an employee clicks on a link that immediately sends malware to the computer. Once that happens, the malware starts encrypting all of the computer's files. If your computer is connected to others in your workplace in a network (and it probably is), then the entire organisation's data can be encrypted.

This can have disastrous consequences.

If you've backed up EVERYTHING, the only problem is that all systems need to be restored. This can easily take a day or two, during which time employees can't work. And it's expensive!

If you don't have a backup, it's expensive because you'll lose a lot of information.

All IT experts advise against paying ransoms to cybercriminals. Not only because you can't be sure you'll get your files back, but also because it gives them even more incentive to hold companies and organisations hostage and blackmail them.