Ransomware is becoming a serious threat. Just last week, we learned that 23 cities in Texas were hit with a ransomware attack on the same day - and the point of entry was determined to be a network all of those cities shared which was SUPPOSED to manage security. As soon as the bad guys penetrated the network, everyone on the network was at risk.
The reason these systems fell victim to ransomware was that their systems were outdated and basically unprotected- it's expensive to keep updating systems, and the bad guys know that.
Although most ransomware is aimed at cities and large companies - because that's where the big money is - it's also targeted at individuals via malicious websites or even legitimate websites that have been compromised by hackers. Bottom line - you can't trust ANY web site you visit. I posted a while ago that I was subjected to a ransomware attack, and I am extremely careful about what sites I visit and how I handle email. I had recently installed ZoneAlarm's anti-ransomware software - it intercepted the attack. Most anti-virus software today includes anti-ransomware protection - make sure you have a good one, and keep it updated. |
