May 2017 Cyber Attack
What’s Happened?
No doubt you have seen the news of an unprecedented cyber-attack last Friday. There are reports the ransomware has infected 200,000 machines in 150 countries. This type of nasty infection basically infects your computer and encrypts or scrambles all your files such as photos, documents, music etc. It then displays a message holding you to ransom (this is where you hear about ransomware) to pay the hackers money to get your files back. This type of virus has been going on for some time but this is the biggest worldwide infection to date.
Don’t Panic
Below you will find my top tips on how to help protect yourself from this infection. This strain of malware appears to be targeting out of date computers, in particular Windows XP.
An important part of protecting your computer and data is to backup all your files. My support customers should have my automatic backup system running. It will be a good idea to check this is up to date and you should have received an email from me when you started the support package explaining how to do this.
5 Top Tips to Help Protect Your Computer
- Make sure your computer is up to date. You can check by going to control panel or settings and search for updates.
- Never open spam emails or emails from unknown senders
- Never open attachments from emails that you are not expecting. This is one of the biggest ways this virus is spreading
- Check your antivirus software is up to date and running correctly
- Have an up to date backup (if you have data you cannot afford to lose it would be a good idea to have multiple backup’s). I can advice you what is appropriate in your case
What I can do for you
If you are affected by the new malware virus or wish your computer to be checked and backed up do email me with your name & phone number & I will come back to you with FREE advice (forgive me if there is a slight delay due to the number of calls I have received to date)
If you have Microsoft XP installed on your computer you are at much higher risk, including users of Windows 8.
I can offer you a comprehensive service including a thorough backup system suited to your needs. Be aware of any phone calls informing you that your computer has been hacked, it is more than likely a further scam.
If you are not already covered by my comprehensive support packages you can give yourself peace of mind by taking advantage of three levels of cover starting from as little as £9 per month.
Simply contact me here for help