03/18/2016
Beware of encryption viruses!
We have watched three separate commercial customers become infected with an encryption virus this month alone. If you are not familiar with these types of viruses, they are the most devastating of all computer viruses.
What is an encryption virus?
Encryption viruses generally enter through an email attachment. The attachment may appear as an invoice from a vendor so it is innocently opened. The attachment contains encryption software which quickly encrypts every single data file on the computer. If this computer is part of a network in an office with networked or mapped drives, the virus also rapidly encrypts all files on the network across the company's file system. Once these files are encrypted, there is generally no way to recover anything. All infected data is completely unusable.
Will virus software protect me?
In some instances, virus software may protect the computer from infection. Virus software has been developed to specifically block some encryption viruses but new viruses are introduced which the software is not setup to block. It is always best to run virus protection. In a commercial environment, it is always best to run commercially licensed virus software on each computer as well. Still, this isn't a fool proof way to ensure your computers and your network are not infected with encryption software.
Will my backups be safe?
This is where encryption software can really become devastating. In certain instances, the answer is yes. In other instances, backups may not be safe. If backups are saved to a device connected to the network such as a NAS or USB storage device and this device is plugged into the network or computer when the encryption virus infects, the backups may also become encrypted. This is the instance where an encryption virus becomes incredibly devastating. This virus alone has put companies out of business in this scenario.
Keep safe with encryption viruses
The ideal office network has encryption virus prevention software installed and backups are setup such that the chance of infection is eliminated. With the right software, we can minimize the chance of infection significantly. With the right backups, we can ensure backups cannot be infected. Backups should be performed nightly or daily on a scheduled interval. Under this setup, data loss would be one day at most. One day's data loss may be uncomfortable but imagine the devastation to your business or individual data if an encryption virus infected everything.
Sincerely,
Need Computer Help Team
4200 Research Forest Dr.
Suite 140
The Woodlands, TX 77381
www.needcomputerhelp.com
[email protected]
Need Computer Help offers quality computer and network assistance in our store, in your home or business, and remotely. Give us a call today!
