Ransomware is a type of computer virus that encrypts your data, preventing you from accessing them. Such viruses tend to “lock” your information and data and ask for something else in return in order to unlock it.

Ransomware can enter your PC through unsecured websites, spam mail, and some software downloads, especially if they are done from fraudulent websites. Ransomware can infect your personal files on your home PC or your company data on your work PC; there is no stopping it once it starts.

Having an older PC, outdated software, no backup plan, or a lack of cybersecurity can put you at higher risk for ransomware attacks and can make your information more vulnerable to hackers.

Hence, it is important to make sure you take steps to make sure your data stays safe from ransomware and outside hackers. Below, we have explained all the necessary precautions and steps you should take to make sure your information stays safe and protect from ransomware:

1. Do not click on unsafe or suspicious links – If you come across a website link you do not trust or in your spam mail, you should not click on it as it usually leads to automatic ransomware downloads onto your PC.

2. Back up your files – If you back up your files on external drives, you do not need to worry about losing them. Even if your PC is affected by ransomware, you will know that your files are still safe and in your access. You can back up your files on a removable drive such as a USB or an online cloud storage service such as Dropbox.

3. Keep your software updated –Having outdated software is one of the biggest risk factors for being attacked by ransomware. By keeping your PC software updated, you can install all the latest security updates created for newer threats. This keeps your PC safe from every type of threat out there.

4. Install virus protection software – Besides keeping your PC updated with the latest computer software, you should also have virus protection software in place. Such software can scan files, emails, and messages for malicious content and can warn you whether you are at risk for an attack.

5. Do not use unknown USBs – When using a USB, make sure it is yours and not anyone else’s. A lot like not using anyone else’s toothbrush, using unknown USBs can put you at risk for malicious content and viruses as you do not know what has been downloaded into them.

Taking the above precautions means you are on the road to keeping your PC safe from ransomware!