Ransomware Infects 830,000 Victims Via Advertisements – YOUR Data WILL be at Risk Unless You Follow These Vital Tips!

Introducing CryptoWall 2.0: a form of ransomware that uses malicious ads on dozens of major websites, including Yahoo, AOL, and Match.com, to infect victim’s networks. While the websites aren’t infected, the ads on the websites are. Essentially, it’s a drive-by-download, where the victim actually becomes infected without clicking on anything.

Proofpoint, a security-as-a-service provider, explained, “the sites themselves weren’t compromised, rather, the advertising networks upon which they relied for dynamic content were inadvertently serving malware.”

So what does this mean for your business? The answer is simple: all of the data you’ve worked hard to create and store is at risk. CryptoWall 2.0 is dangerous and it’s infecting victims’ networks at a rapid rate – more than 830,000 individuals worldwide have experienced an infection!

Once the ransomware enters a network, it encrypts files and places them in a folder of encrypted files. If the victim clicks on any of the files, a message appears, stating something along the lines of:

“Your files have been encrypted. To receive 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 increase to 1000 USD/EUR”

Typically, the first ransom has a deadline of approximately 4-7 days, however, after the deadline, you’re asked for double the amount. According to Proofpoint, the cybercriminals make an average $25,000 per day! Now of course, the question we’re all wondering, what can be done to stay safe? Here’s 6 important tips: