What do I do when I’m hit with Ransomware? (Level 2)

What do I do when I’m hit with Ransomware? You might have noticed that I used the term ‘when’ and not ‘if’.  Kaspersky’s research showed that in 2016, one in five businesses worldwide suffered and IT incident involving Ransomware.  There’s a 20% chance you were hit last year.  What are the odds for 2017? So, what do you do when you’re hit?  Don’t panic.  First step is to call in your Chief Security Officer/Director of IT/or your trusted Managed Services Provider (that’s Preferred Business Solutions, right?)  There are decryption tools for some of the Ransomware families.  Don’t pay the ransom. The Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit advises not to pay the ransom: You’ll become a bigger target, the criminals have zero motivation to release your data (unless…), your next ransom will be higher, and you’re encouraging the criminals.  Remember that Ransomware is a criminal offence, so report the incident. 2016-12-20 MDux