{"id":130729,"date":"2021-10-25T14:26:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T21:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=130729"},"modified":"2025-05-20T06:35:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T13:35:19","slug":"staying-cyber-aware-and-safer-from-ransomware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/staying-cyber-aware-and-safer-from-ransomware\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Cyber Aware and Safer from Ransomware"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ransomware \u2013 A truly frightening cyber security topic<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It&#8217;s October, and\u00a0at McAfee we love celebrating\u00a0spooky season.\u00a0As McAfee\u2019s Chief Technology Officer, I\u2019m also\u00a0excited that\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0Cyber Security Awareness Month.\u00a0And while there are no fun-size candy bars, we do talk about some truly bone-chilling stuff when it comes to cyber safety.\u00a0So\u00a0gather round, as I\u00a0tell you all about one of the scariest threats online, ransomware.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Staying Cyber Aware and Safer from Ransomware\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h5f2kTAXGGU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What is Ransomware?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ransomware is a form of extortion that happens when cyber criminals demand payment. Recently some high-profile companies have been in the news as victims of major ransomware attacks. However, ransomware also impacts individuals, just like you and me. In the individual\u2019s case, a cybercriminal may demand payment to restore access to your device or data or even to prevent them from dumping sensitive or embarrassing information onto the internet. McAfee defends consumers from tens of thousands of ransomware attacks every month.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What should I do if I\u2019m a victim of ransomware?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If the worst should happen, take a deep\u00a0breath\u00a0and don\u2019t panic. Calmly assessing the situation now can\u00a0save you a lot of stress later. Ask\u00a0yourself:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What data has been compromised?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Look for things like encrypted files on your computer\u00a0that\u00a0you can no longer open.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Did the hacker show you an email you don\u2019t believe they should have access to?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How valuable is the data?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Can you afford to lose this data?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ideally, your data is backed up on another device or in the cloud so you can regain anything that the criminals have stolen.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Would this data be publicly damaging to you?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How to avoid making the problem worse\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Never accept unsolicited help. This may be the hacker.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Don\u2019t click on pop-ups, links, or emails offering help,\u00a0as these may also be affiliated with the ransomware.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Taking action<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Now that you\u2019ve assessed the situation, we can do something about it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Update all your passwords to lock criminals out of your online accounts.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Make sure all your system software is\u00a0up to date.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Check that McAfee security is installed and active on all your devices.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Don\u2019t negotiate with terrorists<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If you can afford to lose your data, and the personal impact is minimal, we always recommend you don\u2019t pay the criminal. There\u2019s no guarantee that if you pay the ransom, you\u2019ll get your data back, and ultimately, you\u2019re incentivizing the cybercriminal to do it again. The best defense against ransomware is to have great cybersecurity habits that prevent the attack from occurring in the first place.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">So,\u00a0whether you\u2019re enjoying\u00a0some\u00a0creepy\u00a0lawn decorations, or just surfing the\u00a0web,\u00a0remember to stay safe out there this Halloween.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ransomware \u2013 A truly frightening cyber security topic It&#8217;s October, and\u00a0at McAfee we love celebrating\u00a0spooky season.\u00a0As McAfee\u2019s Chief Technology Officer,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":768,"featured_media":130738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10661],"tags":[4549],"coauthors":[4481],"class_list":["post-130729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internet-security","tag-ransomware"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Staying Cyber Aware and Safer from Ransomware | McAfee Blog Staying Cyber Aware and Safer from Ransomware<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ransomware \u2013 A truly frightening cyber security topic It&#039;s October, and\u00a0at McAfee we love celebrating\u00a0spooky season.\u00a0As McAfee\u2019s Chief Technology Officer, McAfee\u2019s CTO, Steve Grobman discusses the threat of ransomware, what it is, how it affects you, and what we can do about it. 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