Published: February 20, 2020 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
Who doesn’t love getting something for free? Well, now victims of ransomware attacks are thrilled to know they can get their encrypted and ransomed files back from cybercriminals–without having to pay a ransom demand. Even better, they can decrypt the files themselves and do it entirely for free! Thanks to The No More Ransom Project, an effort by cybersecurity and law enforcement professionals to combat ransomware, many victims now have the tools they need to decrypt their ransomed files. That’s great news for ransomware victims and very bad news for cybercriminals.
Ransomware attacks against organizations and individuals have been in the headlines for years, crippling victims and costing them over $1 billion in 2016 alone. The goal behind ransomware is to encrypt critical files and keep them that way unless a ransom is paid to decrypt them. Most victims find themselves with a crucial decision to make: Pay the ransom to restore the encrypted files or somehow continue doing business without crucial data. Cyberattack history tells us ransomware attacks target individuals as well as healthcare, financial, education, and law enforcement institutions. But thanks to The No More Ransom Project website, those victims can now decrypt those ransomed files absolutely free through its online portal.
Those caught in the cross hairs of ransomware versions known as WannaCryFake (a phony version of the notorious WannaCry), Avest, FortuneCrypt, and Yatron can now find their decryption keys on the No More Ransom website. The website was launched three years ago, giving ransomware victims the ability to reclaim their heisted data using decryption keys and applications available on the site. To date, No More Ransom has prevented over $100 million in ransoms from being paid. The website also provides valuable advice and security measures to those who want to avoid becoming ransomware victims to begin with.
Although No More Ransom admits not every type of ransomware currently has a decryption solution, the website is continually being updated to include more decryption keys and applications as they become available. The No More Ransom website recommends to victims of ransomware “The general advice is not to pay the ransom. By sending your money to cybercriminals you’ll only confirm that ransomware works, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get the decryption key you need in return.” In addition, keeping good backups that are current is the best way to ensure you can get your data back in a jiffy!
With continued help from the do-gooders behind The No More Ransom Project, the ransomware grip is loosening and with a lot of luck and hard work, it may one day be entirely broken–for free!
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