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