What is a ransomware and how it works

The attack carried out by hackers that has been making all the headlines since Friday has left us with a term that is novel for many people. That term is ransomware. Suddenly this word is found everywhere. All the news on television and the internet and all the newspapers mention it constantly. But for many there is still doubt about what it really means.

For this reason, by way of explanation we will tell you what ransomware is and also how it works and its main objective.

Index of contents

What is ransomware? How does it work?

Ransomware is malicious software. It is this first, the simplest definition we can offer on this concept, although logically there is much more behind it. It is a malware that seeks to encrypt the files present on a computer. Given the magnitude of some of these ransomware, such as the WannaCry that we are seeing a lot these days, they can manage to encrypt the most sensitive files on any computer.

Generally, they tend to focus on encrypting these sensitive files on our computer. It doesn't matter what kind they are. It can be Word documents, or PDF although even up to photos or videos. Generally the type of files you are going to try to encrypt depends on the purpose of its creator. The developer establishes which files are the target of the ransomware.

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If the ransomware manages to enter your computer and encrypt the files it is looking for, the most common thing is that you get the message that you have been infected. At the same time they ask you for a ransom to free your computer. Generally it is real money, although in many cases they have also been seen with bitcoins. They will ask us for a transfer. If this money transfer is made, what we are going to obtain is a key with which to decrypt our entire system. In this way we can free our computer and use it again in the normal way.

Given the increased presence of online ransomware, there are more and more generic codes that help us to unlock the system. The problem is that they don't always work, although in some cases they can be extremely useful.

We have to pay?

This part is one of the most controversial. In general, both the authorities and security experts recommend not to pay and not give in to blackmail by hackers. Many users pay, generally out of fear. It is a logical reaction, since having your computer locked your only objective is to have access to it and all your files.

It is a complicated situation. There are companies that have been forced to pay huge amounts in order to free their systems from the ransomware attack. The main problem in these cases is that paying is not a guarantee.

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There are cases in which despite the payment of the ransom requested by the attackers, the computer has not been released. Therefore, despite making the payment there is no guarantee. That is why many recommend not to pay. But the main problem in this situation is that there are hardly any possible solutions. Without payment the computer will not be released. A dead end.

How to prevent ransomware?

To avoid being infected by ransomware, the tips offered are the usual ones for any type of malware. The main way of spreading ransomware is usually through email, therefore it is recommended to avoid opening unknown emails, and especially never download attachments in them. You also have to be careful with the downloads, therefore always from trusted sites.

APK installers can be more problematic, so special care with this type is recommended. It is also not necessary to install strange plugins that some web page recommends to us.

Generally, being a little careful we can avoid the huge problem that ransmoware poses to us. Have you ever been infected by ransomware?