Ransomware & Social Engineering: Protect Yourself Now

Cybercriminals use two main tactics to attack you:

1. Ransomware

• What it does: Locks your files until you pay (usually in Bitcoin)

• How it gets in: Fake software updates ("Adobe Flash Player") or unpatched systems

• Real impact: Frozen hospital MRI machines, bankrupt small businesses

• Stop it:

• Use tools like CryptoDrop to detect attacks early

• Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule (3 copies, 2 formats, 1 offline)

2. Social Engineering

• What it is: Psychological tricks to steal access

• Common scams:

• Fake CEO calls (AI voice clones)

• "Emergency" texts ("Mom, I need gift cards!")

• Why it works: We're wired to trust authority and help others

• Beat it:

• Always verify unusual requests

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

3 Quick Protections

1. Turn on automatic updates

2. Backup important files offline weekly

3. Slow down - pause before clicking/responding

"Security is about being a harder target than the next person."

Sources: Alshaikh et al. (2020), Eleyan et al. (2021)

References:

Alshaikh, H., et al. (2020). Ransomware Prevention and Mitigation Techniques. International Journal of Computer Applications

Eleyan, D., et al. (2021). A Survey of Social Engineering Attacks. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology