600,000 Computers Infected in 6 Months – CryptoWall is on the Rise & YOUR Business Might Be Next!

Author: Joe Martin, Date: 2014-10-27

CryptoWall, a dangerous form of ransomware that’s similar to CryptoLocker, infiltrates users’ computers and encrypts their files, then demands a ransom fee for the decryption key. So how does the ransomware infect computers? Well, there’s a few ways:

• Spam emails with malicious links/attachments.
• Drive-by download attacks from infected websites.
• Various other forms of malicious activity.

In the past 6 months, an alarming 600,000 computers have been infected – leaving 5 billion files held hostage! Once CryptoWall enters a PC, it encrypts files and places them in a folder of encrypted files. If you click on any of the files, a message appears, stating something along the lines of:

“Your files are encrypted. To get the key to decrypt the files, you must pay 500 USD/EUR. If payment isn’t made before [date], the cost of decrypting files will double to 1000 USD/EUR”

Have you implemented the right safety precautions to stand a chance against this dangerous new type of ransomware? Compunet InfoTech is here to help you reduce the risks of losing your files in the event of infection. To learn more, or to schedule a network security assessment, give us a call at (604) 986-8170 or send us an email at info@compunet.ca.

As we’ve already stated, 600,000 computers have been infected in the past 6 months; however, here’s a little known fact: 67% of those computers are in the US! What does this mean for your business? It means you’re at risk, plain and simple. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to prevent infection, however, it’s easy to prevent losing your files.

Our team of IT experts offers data backup to help you recover your files & avoid paying a hefty ransom fee in the event of infection. Keep in mind, CryptoWall is extremely dangerous – and it WILL bypass any type of anti-virus software and firewalls you’ve implemented.

Anti-Virus Software & Firewalls AREN’T Enough to Keep YOUR Business Safe – Contact Our Team of IT Experts to Discuss Data Backup , Off-site backup and business continuity Immediately!

If you’re worried, please feel free to contact our team of IT experts to discuss data backup immediately, in order to ensure you’re able to recover files in the event of infection. We’ll also perform a comprehensive network security assessment to:

• Analyze your network – from network permissions to aging technologies to overlooked vulnerabilities, to detect potential issues.
• Test your defenses using advanced hacker tactics and techniques to determine vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
• Install updates and upgrades wherever necessary to fix any existing vulnerabilities and backdoors.

Don’t give cybercriminals the opportunity to exploit your systems! To learn more, give us a call at (604) 986-8170 or send us an email at info@compunet.ca. Compunet InfoTech is the preferred IT support company for businesses in Vancouver.