The premise of ransomware is simple. The attacker finds a way to take something of yours and demands payment for its return. Encrypting ransomware, the most common type takes away access to your important documents by replacing them with encrypted copies. Pay the ransom and you get the key to decrypt those documents (you hope). There is another type of ransomware that denies all use of your computer or mobile device. However, this screen locker ransomware is easier to defeat and just doesn't pose the same level of threat as encrypting ransomware. Perhaps the most pernicious example is malware that encrypts your entire hard drive, rendering the computer unusable. Fortunately, this last type is uncommon.
If you're hit by a ransomware attack, you won't know it at first. It doesn't show the usual signs that you've got malware. Encrypting ransomware works in the background, aiming to complete its nasty mission before you notice its presence. Once finished with the job, it gets in your face, displaying instructions for how to pay the ransom and get your files back. Naturally, the perpetrators require untraceable payment; Bitcoin is a popular choice. The ransomware may also instruct victims to purchase a gift card or prepaid debit card and supply the card number.
As for how you contract this infestation, quite often it happens through an infected PDF or Office document sent to you in an email that looks legitimate. It may even seem to come from an address within your company's domain. That seems to be what happened with the WannaCry ransomware attack a few years ago. If you have the slightest doubt as to the legitimacy of the email, don't click the link, and do report it to your IT department.
Of course, ransomware is just another kind of malware, and any malware-delivery method could bring it to you. A drive-by download is hosted by a malicious advertisement on an otherwise-safe site, for example. You could even contract this scourge by inserting a gimmicked USB drive into your PC, though this is less common. If you're lucky, your malware protection utility will catch it immediately. If not, you could be in trouble.
The best ransomware protection software will not just be able to prevent your computer or another device from being infected, but also stop malware from being able to change your files and folders, either locally or in the cloud.
Having some of the best ransomware protection software has become increasingly necessary as cybersecurity risks increase. This is especially because if you do suffer from a successful ransomware attack, it can be very difficult to remove.
While there are tools available that will aim to help reverse a ransomware attack, the best defense is to avoid being infected by ransomware in the first place.
Most of the best antivirus software and anti-malware software will have protections against ransomware built-in, so we have listed these at the top of our list - after all, prevention is better than treatment.
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