What is Ransomeware?


Ransomware prevents you from using your PC or accessing your files.

Ransomware is a malicious type of software that holds your PC to ransom by encrypting your files and demanding money to unlock them.
There are lots of different types of ransomware but they all do the same thing: prevent you from using your PC or accessing your files without paying the criminals behind the ransomware.

Ransomware is designed to scare victims. Often, ransomware will display a message that claims you’ve committed a crime, such as visiting an illegal website and threatens to report you to the police unless you hand over money. These claims are designed to frighten you into paying the criminals and stop you getting help to remove the ransomware.

Ransomware will display instructions on how to pay the ransom, as well as a countdown clock that, once reached, will destroy the key needed to unlock your files.

How do I get ransomware?

Ransomware is often installed when visiting a malicious website, often via pop-up windows that appear when you load the webpage.

It can hide inside files attached to emails, or inside files you download from the internet.
Ransomware often pretends to be a legitimate file, such as a game that you want to play, especially if you’re not downloading the file from its official website

What should I do if I get ransomware?
Don’t pay. There’s no guarantee that your files will be unlocked and you could expose yourself to more demands from the criminals. Paying makes you a target for more malicious software attacks.

Call on Peak Mountain Technology Solutions to help with protecting your computer systems from such attacts.