Ransomware Attacks Increased Heavily in 2016

According to a recent IBM study, ransomware increased by 6,000% in 2016. Roughly 40% of spam emails contained ransomware, and about 70% of victims paid the hacker between $10,000 to $40,000 in order to get their data back. Unfortunately, IBM also found that most victims would rather pay the price than contact law enforcement.

In order to protect yourself from malware and ransomware attempts, you’ll need to scan your device regularly for viruses. DFNDR’s full virus scan will check for any threats on your smartphone, including all files and programs that are in your device’s memory and SD card.

This will be extremely helpful if you are worried about a ransomware attack. If you constantly scan your device for viruses, it’s nearly impossible for your device to become infected with malware. Click here to protect yourself from ransomware by scanning your device for malware:

What exactly is ransomware?

Ransomware is a specific type of malicious attack where the hacker typically gets the victim to download malware onto his or her device. Then, the hacker demands money in exchange for restoring the device back to full health. As a result, ransomware attacks can be much more costly than standard hacking procedures.

For example, a notable ransomware attack occurred in 2012, when a Trojan known as Reveton infiltrated several computers across the world. The Trojan masqueraded itself as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and placed their federal logo at the top of the ransomware page. Reveton stated that the affected computers had recently visited illegal websites that contained illicit pornography or drug trafficking.

The Trojan proceeded to demand money, or the user would be prosecuted under the law. While the Trojan was completely fake, several people fell for it, and lost a good deal of money to a malicious hack.

Here’s how you can further protect yourself from ransomware.

It can be hard to tell if there is a virus lying beneath one of your applications. Don’t let a functional phone fool you; some of these devices are plagued with malware that could bring them to their demise. You can never be too safe when it comes to mobile technology.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to be cautious of which apps you install on your phone. Stay away from any suspicious or odd-looking apps with few downloads or reviews, especially if they claim to be a well-known, popular app. Further, run a full virus scan on your phone after you download any new apps, and avoid opening odd emails from unknown senders.