Mark Hall, CEO/President of NetSolutions in Concord, spoke on Business Computers vs. Ransomware. He started with a definition of ransomware as a type of malicious software or malware that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks and demands you pay a ransom for their return. You can unknowingly download malware onto a computer by opening an email attachment, clicking an ad, following a link, visiting a website embedded with malware, or even loading a foreign CD or USD drive onto your computer.
Moving forward, Mark described the Most Common Methods of Ransomware Infections in North America as follows:
- 67% - spam/phishing emails
- 36% - lack of cyber security training
- 30% - weak passwords/access management
- 25% - poor user practices/gullibility
- 16% - malicious websites/web ads
- 16% - other
Next, Mark detailed the Top-Clicked Phishing Tests/Top Social Media Email Subjects as
- 42% - LinkedIn
- 20% - Facebook
- 12% - log in alert from Chrome
- 11% - You have a new message alert
- 9% - Direct Message from Twitter
- 6% - New voicemail message at <time>
He continued the discussion by focusing on the Top 10 General Email Subjects that included
- 31% - Password Check Required Immediately
- 13% - COVID-19 Remote Work Policy Update
- 5% - Deactivation of <email> in Process
- 4% - Recent Activity Report
To prevent ransomware without completely shutting down a company’s network or computers, Mark stressed
- Keep operating systems, software, and applications up to date
- Make sure anti-virus solutions are set to automatically update and run scans
- Use firewalls for network security
- Use 3rd party email filters and end user education or email security
- Backup files locally, offsite, and online
Watch the video for more detailed explanations of each of the above categories and examples.
Contact information for Mark Hall:
NetSolutions
1292 Saddlehill Lane
Concord, CA 94521
925.672.6029