The latest projections on ransomware from companies like Malwarebytes (who got it dead right this time) is far from encouraging. Viruses evolve and different versions emerge as time passes, making the security companies work even harder to protect us. This is a fairly normal cycle of cat and mouse, but as soon as the antivirus companies can create detection and protection updates the virus is usually stopped from spreading.

However, ransomware is so profitable that people are now buying the base code and creating their own private strains. The latest estimate is that 100 new strains were created in 2016 alone. No one can prevent it from being activated by misplaced mouse click yet. Very few, very lucky people have found decryption keys that were able to undo the damage, but otherwise there is little hope yet in the fight against this insidious computer security threat.

Malwarebytes recently released their projections for ransomware’s evolution in 2017, and it’s the kind of stuff that will keep an IT professional up at night. Education remains the only real defense, and backup is the only good answer to an infection. But even backup has it’s limitations, so your disaster recovery plans must be carefully thought through.
Here is the Malwarebytes report – http://go2.malwarebytes.com/NS00UUon0037hBG0qu0023I

For a less technical (but no less frightening) read visit the Free Library under Links and Library above. Click on the Ransomware booklet for a blow by blow description of what you are up against.

Here is a shortcut – https://bluemarbleonline.com/premium-content/free-library/

Remember – trust nothing, especially email attachments and links. Read everything, delete anything even remotely suspicious. And make sure your content is protected if it’s important.

This thing has caused businesses to close their doors. Here’s hoping the big guys get it figured out soon.