Ransomware is malicious software that can hold your data hostage. It becomes encrypted, and criminals promise to allow you to decrypt it if you pay a ransom. Governments, non-profit organizations, and companies of all sizes have fallen victim to this scam. The good news is you can take steps to reduce this paralyzing computer hack’s chances of hitting your computer system.
Eliminate Potential Threats Through Secure Shredding and Destruction
TITAN Mobile Shredding provides two services that may cut the risk of a ransomware attack:
- The shredding of obsolete documents – It is especially important to destroy documents that contain critical IT system and/or personal information.
- Destruction of computer hard drives – If you upgrade your computers by replacing old memory devices, do not just toss the old devices in the trash. If you choose to upgrade and buy new laptops or PCs instead, be careful what you do with the old computers. Selling, donating, or disposing of them without preventing your security and personal data from getting into the wrong hands would be a big mistake. No matter what you do with the computers, remove the hard drives. We can destroy them by literally tearing them into bits, so their information will never help hackers
More Actions to Avoid Cyber-Blackmail
These steps are part of an overall strategy to prevent ransomware attacks. Security software provider Kaspersky has these additional suggestions:
- Never click on unsafe links: This includes unknown websites and links in spam messages. If you do, a malicious download could start infecting your system with ransomware
- Don’t disclose personal information: Don’t reply to calls, text messages, or emails requesting personal information from untrusted sources. Hackers might collect it and use it to tailor a bogus email that looks authentic to you, so you’ll be more likely to open it
- Don’t open suspicious email attachments: Ransomware commonly infects devices through email attachments. Don’t open one if it’s questionable. Never open attachments that require macros to view them. After the infected attachment opens, a malicious macro will run, giving the ransomware control of your computer
- Only use your USB sticks: Don’t connect USB sticks or other storage media to your computer if their source is unknown. Cybercriminals infect and distribute them
- Keep your system and programs updated: Often, updates include security patches of recently discovered vulnerabilities. Updating can take some time, but far less time than it’ll take to deal with ransomware
- Don’t download from unfamiliar sites: Rely on trusted sites for downloads. The browser address bar should show “https” not “http.” A secure page could also show a shield or lock symbol in the address bar. Only use the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to download apps on your mobile devices
- Use a virtual private network (VPN) on public Wi-Fi networks: Using a public Wi-Fi network makes your computer more vulnerable to attacks. Either don’t use that network or use it with a secure VPN service
Make TITAN Mobile Shredding Part of Your Computer Security Strategy
If you have questions about how document shredding and hard drive destruction can make your organization more secure, call TITAN Mobile Shredding at (866) 848-2699 today. We can discuss your needs and how we can meet them.
