For anyone who uses their computer for work, school or even just for fun, having a virus or your computer can be one of the most annoying things on your computer you will even have to deal with.

Viruses destroy your computer, Adware advertises to you, Spyware spy’s on you, but what does Ransomware do?

Ransomware is a whole new beast altogether and we have been seeing a lot of it the last few years.

Basically how Ransomware works is buy installing software on your computer that locks you out until you pays the ransom. It either does this buy installing some sort of lock on your computer or even worse by encrypting all your files so you can not access them.

The ransom is usually very high, between $500 and $1000, but worse of all once you pay it we have never seen anyone actually have their files released!

The big one in Ransomware we saw lots last year was Cryptolocker which hurt a lot of business in Townsville and all over Australia.

How to protect yourself from Ransomware

For Viruses we have Anti-Virus, for Spyware it’s Anti-Spyware, so you guessed it, if you want to protect your computer from Ransomware we use a Anti-Ransomware.

Until recently there were a whole lot of protection suites to help protect us form the threat of Ransomware.

Fortunately, one of the best Malware protection company’s, Malwarebytes have made a Anti-Spyware program to help protect us form that as well.

Right now it is only in Beta mode, but it is getting great results.

Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware Review

Like all computer protection suites, they run a Gazillion times better on your computer if they are installed before there is a problem, rather than installing them after you are already infected.

Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware is a small program and really easy to install.

Malwarebytes claim that even though it is only in Beta mode right now, it is effective in protecting computer from all existing Ransomware out there right now.

I wasn’t prepared to put this to the test, but considering the high reputation of Malwarebytes as the premier Anti-spyware company I think it would probably be true.

I have found no reports of an Ransomware getting in on anyones computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware at all.

Common Ransomware threats

The most ransomware threats I have seen in Townsville is from a program called Cryptolocker which encrypts your files and never releases them, even after paying.

Although Pop-ups are not technically viruses and not Ransomware either, when there are lots of them they might as well be. Having too many popups can result in your computer being unusable.

If your computer is held to Ransom please call Ross from Townsville Nerds on 0402 807 890.