You Are the Best Defense Against Malware
Last week, the news was once again dominated by a ransomware cyberattack. The latest threat, known as Petya, uses a spam email to trick it’s targets into downloading malicious software onto their machines that will, in turn, lock them out of those machines until a ransom is paid. And if the affected user is on a network, well, the damage can spread extensively.
Unlike the most recent prominent ransomware attack, known as WannaCry, which was able to be thwarted, there is currently no known way to stop the spread of this malware, except of course, for you.
That’s right, the best defense against the spread of malware is computer users themselves. We’ve talked about learning to protect yourself online before, but it’s time to put those efforts into high gear and educate ourselves on how to be more vigilant to the threat of cyber attacks because they are only going to get worse.
To that end, CNN had a great post on this topic, and it’s worth your time to check it out. Here is the key takeaway:
You are the key to keeping your computer safe – CNN.com:
Ultimately, we have yet to make a dent in tackling the single biggest problem in cybersecurity: users. From not installing software patches or conducting routine updates to clicking on malicious hyperlinks and attachments in spear-phishing emails, and using weak passwords on devices, regular people — all of us computer users — continue to be the conduits for most cyber attacks.
And so far, the only proactive approach against this continues to be security awareness training, which people usually only get when they’re affiliated with larger organizations. Not only does this leave everyone else, from small businesses to senior citizens, vulnerable, but all signs also point to a limited impact of such training even within big organizations.
We also need to start a nationwide campaign to inform and educate everyone, from homemakers to high school students, about cyber risks. With malware capable of being ported into work from shared computers and even from travelers using free Wi-Fi terminals, it is imperative that everyone is secure. Such a campaign requires federal and state funding and local support that is aimed at empowering users to develop good cyber hygiene. This includes teaching people how to be safe online, how to use online privacy protection tools, and how to monitor, detect and report cyber attacks.
We can offer you peace of mind — free for 30 days
Part of a good defense against malware is having a good backup of your data. We use and recommend Mozy cloud backup service. We can help you install it on your network and give your peace of mind from ransomware and other types of malware. While you’ll never stop every infection, you won’t have to worry because you will always have a current backup. Send us an email for more information.
