BrandPost: Ransomware Goes Viral: What You Need to Know

If you’re one of the thousands of computer users who now get hit by ransomware every day, there can be no greater frustration than seeing your desktop image change from its usual serene outdoor scene to a ransom note.

“ATTENTION!” The note reads in a typical case. “All your files were encrypted by CryLocker!” But “cry not,” the note might go on to urge, as all of the documents, photos, videos, and other files on your computer are easily decrypted. That is, as long as you are willing to pay the Bitcoin equivalent of $500 for the decryption key. And the price goes up if you hesitate more than a few days.

Ransomware is not only on the rise, but it’s proliferating quickly, and it’s mutating. New variants with new capabilities have emerged, making this major threat more dangerous than ever. And with the same encryption used by cybercrooks as major banks, cracking the code to release your files is often all but impossible. Fortunately there is one sure method for recovering encrypted files that doesn’t require paying a ransom. That method is backup.

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