Ransomware has become infamous in the past few years, largely due to its involvement in a growing number of cyberattacks during this time. Of course, not all ransomware works in the same way, and recognizing the difference could prove to be useful. Therefore, we’ve taken a few moments and assembled a brief description of the four most common ransomware varieties.
Scareware earns its name by relying on scare tactics to snare its victims. Often posing as some kind of antivirus, a scareware program might warn the target that there are issues present on the device that require payment to resolve. Depending on who you ask, scareware isn’t always considered a form of ransomware, but the reliance on fear to coerce action from a victim is certainly a common thread between the two.
This variety of ransomware effectively bars you from accessing a system, leaving the files untouched but preventing you from doing anything (with the exception of paying the demanded ransom). In many ways, this is similar to the variety of ransomware that most will likely be familiar with: crypto ransomware.
While locker ransomware prevents you from accessing your files by blocking you out of the system, crypto ransomware goes so far as to encrypt the files themselves. Once you have lost access, you are given a deadline to pay up by, or your files will be permanently deleted. Short of restoring your systems from a backup, there is no real sure-fire way to recover from this. After all, there is no guarantee that the party responsible for infecting you will restore your access, even if you were to pay.
Also known as “doxware,” extortionware works in a very similar way to a crypto ransomware--once a system is infected, the files on it are encrypted and the user is given the attacker’s demands. However, there is one key difference: rather than deleting files, extortionware threatens to share personal details out. This gives targets a much different, but no less effective, motivation to comply with the aforementioned demands.
To protect your business from ransomware, you and your team need to keep the following best practices in mind:
Remember, ransomware is exploitative and so will take the low road in order to accomplish its objective. A very new locker ransomware, known as CovidLock, has recently been distributed to Android devices through a malicious coronavirus tracking application.
Direct Technology Group is here to assist your business with its cybersecurity and other IT needs. Find out more about what we do by reading more of our blogs, exploring the rest of our website, or by calling us at (954) 739-4700.
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