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The old adage, \u201cBacking up your data is important to plan for, as hard drives inevitably fail\u201d is as true as ever, but equally true now is the need to back up your data to thwart the increasing frequency of ransomware attacks.<\/p>\n
Ransomware is malicious software that blocks access to your data by encrypting files until a ransom is paid. Once the ransom is paid, if you\u2019re lucky, a decryption key is provided to the victim(s) to decrypt and access files.<\/p>\n
Ransomware comes in two not-so-fun flavors: Encryptors and lockers. Encryptors incorporate advanced encryption algorithms to block system files until a ransom is paid. Lockers do as the name implies, locking victims out of their operating system. This makes it impossible to access applications, files, and even the desktop until a ransom is paid. Encryptors, also known as crypto-ransomware, are the most widespread type of ransomware.<\/p>\n
One of the more frustrating aspects of ransomware is that even if you\u2019re careful to avoid it by not clicking on suspicious attachments, someone else\u2019s infected computer might spread the malware to your computer over a shared network. WannaCry, a cryptoworm, spread in this fashion during the May 2017 ransomware attack.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a current subscriber of Backblaze, there\u2019s good news: Since Backblaze is continuously running an online backup of your data, you can circumvent the need to pay a ransom by accessing and restoring your files from your Backblaze backup.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re new to Backblaze, there is no time like the present to back up. Over the past 10 years, through our annual backup survey, we\u2019ve consistently found that most people fail to regularly back up their data. 25% never back up and nearly 67% have not backed up in the last year. With so few people backing up, it is no wonder that ransomware is so effective.<\/p>\n
Protecting yourself against ransomware, and malware in general, is quite easy with Backblaze. We previously highlighted one instance of how Backblaze provided a solution to one of our customers to circumvent a ransomware attack<\/a> and, ultimately, restored their data. In short, these are the steps you should take to safeguard yourself with Backblaze:<\/p>\n\n
Ransomware Attacks: Sizing Up the Risk to Your Data<\/h2>\n
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