1.888.900.DRIZ (3749)
The Driz Group
  • Managed Services
    • SME CyberShield
    • Web Application Security >
      • Schedule WAF Demo
    • Virtual CISO
    • Compliance >
      • SOC1 & SOC2
      • GDPR
    • Third-Party Risk Management
    • Vulnerability Assessment >
      • Free Vulnerability Assessment
  • About us
    • Testimonials
    • Meet The Team
    • Resources
    • In the news
    • Careers
    • Subsidiaries
  • Contact
    • Newsletter
  • How WAF Works
  • Blog
  • Managed Services
    • SME CyberShield
    • Web Application Security >
      • Schedule WAF Demo
    • Virtual CISO
    • Compliance >
      • SOC1 & SOC2
      • GDPR
    • Third-Party Risk Management
    • Vulnerability Assessment >
      • Free Vulnerability Assessment
  • About us
    • Testimonials
    • Meet The Team
    • Resources
    • In the news
    • Careers
    • Subsidiaries
  • Contact
    • Newsletter
  • How WAF Works
  • Blog

Cybersecurity Blog

Thought leadership. Threat analysis. Cybersecurity news and alerts.

2/9/2017

0 Comments

How Ransomware Works and What You Should Do

 
How Ransomware Works

How Ransomware Works and What You Should Do


Understanding how ransomware works is the first step to protecting your interests. Here's what happens and how you can be proactive.

Ransomware is on the rise. 

You may have heard of this term, but aren't sure exactly what it means. 

As a computer user, you should take careful precautions to protect yourself against malware, or know what to do in case of a ransomware attack.

Keep reading to find out how ransomware works and how you can prevent it!

What is Ransomware?

Before diving into how ransomware works, let's take a look at what ransomware actually is.

A type of malware, ransomware is delivered to your computer system through various means.

Ransomware can make its way to you through the following:

  • Infected email attachments
  • Drive-by-downloads
  • Socially engineered malware
  • Malvertising
  • Hacked websites

There are different types of ransomware. However, each and every type will prevent you from using your computer normally. 

How Ransomware Works

Ransomware works by first infecting a computer. Then, using modern cryptography methods, it encrypts files.

Once encrypted, the files cannot be decrypted without the "key." The key is what hackers will provide once you have paid them ransom. 

Unfortuantely, hackers can target any computer users. Whether it's a home computer you're working on, endpoints in an enterprise network, or even servers used by a government agency or healthcare provider, ransomware can affect you.

This means ransomware can get onto your computer from nearly any source that any other malware (including viruses) can come from. 

Ransomware can prevent you from accessing programs such as Windows, encrypt files so that you cannot use them, and/or stop certain web applications from running, such as your web browser.

What to do After a Ransomware Attack

  1. Is your computer part of a network? If so, remove the infected system from the network.
  2. If you feel it's necessary, create a copy of your disk or the impacted files for analysis later on (this may be needed for decryption of files).
  3. Do you have a healthy system restore point? If so, see if you can go back and try if that works for you.
  4. If you have recent backups of your data, that's great news! Format and clean and reinstall Windows. Then, restore your backed up data--this will give you a fresh start. 
  5. Boot into Safe Mode. Then, run your antivirus software deep-scan--hopefully, that will be able to disinfect your computer, although it's not always the answer.
  6. Identify the ransomware that infected your computer. To do this, you can use a free online service, such as ID Ransomware.
  7. If you successfully identify the ransomware, check to see if a ransomware decrypt tool is available for your type of ransomware. Then, make use of what you can find.
  8. If the ransomware totally blocked access to your computer, give Kaspersky WindowsUnlocker a try, as it can clean up a ransomware infected Registry and give you access back. 
  9. Finally, remember to report your ransomware case to your local cyber crime cell, police, or the FBI. 

How to Prevent a Ransomware Attack

The best solution to ransomware is to be safe on the internet. This includes with emails and online chat. 

Check out the list below for how to make sure you stay safe on the internet:

  • Don't click on a link on a webpage, in an email, or in a chat message unless you are positive that the page or sender is trustworthy.
  • If you're ever unsure if you can trust the page or sender--don't click the link!
  • You can catch on to fake emails or webpages if you spot bad spelling or if they look unusual. Keep an eye out for strange spellings of company names or unusual spaces, symbols or punctuation.

 

What do you know about how ransomware works and how to protect yourself from it? Tell us about your experiences with ransomware in the comments!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Steve E. Driz, I.S.P., ITCP

    Picture
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015

    Categories

    All
    0-Day
    2FA
    Access Control
    Advanced Persistent Threat
    AI
    AI Security
    Artificial Intelligence
    ATP
    Awareness Training
    Blockchain
    Botnet
    Bots
    Brute Force Attack
    CASL
    Cloud Security
    Compliance
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cryptocurrency
    Cyber Attack
    Cyberattack Surface
    Cyber Awareness
    Cybercrime
    Cyber Espionage
    Cyber Insurance
    Cyber Security
    Cybersecurity
    Cybersecurity Audit
    Cyber Security Consulting
    Cyber Security Insurance
    Cyber Security Risk
    Cyber Security Threats
    Cybersecurity Tips
    Data Breach
    Data Governance
    Data Leak
    Data Leak Prevention
    Data Privacy
    DDoS
    Email Security
    Endpoint Protection
    Fraud
    GDPR
    Hacking
    Impersonation Scams
    Incident Management
    Insider Threat
    IoT
    Machine Learning
    Malware
    MFA
    Microsoft Office
    Mobile Security
    Network Security Threats
    Phishing Attack
    Privacy
    Ransomware
    Remote Access
    SaaS Security
    Social Engineering
    Supply Chain Attack
    Supply-Chain Attack
    Third Party Risk
    Third-Party Risk
    VCISO
    Virtual CISO
    Vulnerability
    Vulnerability Assessment
    Web Applcation Security
    Web-applcation-security
    Web Application Firewall
    Web Application Protection
    Web Application Security
    Web Protection
    Windows Security
    Zero Trust

    RSS Feed

Picture

1.888.900.DRIZ (3749)

Managed Services

Picture
SME CyberShield
​Web Application Security
​Virtual CISO
Compliance
​Vulnerability Assessment
Free Vulnerability Assessment
Privacy Policy | CASL

About us

Picture
Testimonials
​Meet the Team
​Subsidiaries
​Contact us
​Blog
​
Jobs

Resources & Tools

Picture
​Incident Management Playbook
Sophos authorized partner logo
Picture
© 2025 Driz Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Photo from GotCredit