New Free Software Promises to Help SMBs Fight Off Ransomware

You already know how ransomware works. Malware gets loaded on to a computer, and quietly encrypts everything of use. When it’s done, you see a message displayed on your screen demanding payment in Bitcoins, and you’re told that if you don’t pay up, you’ll never get your data back.

For many companies, the only choice is to pay up, but that has two complications. First, it costs you a lot of money. Second, it labels you as being willing to pay the ransom, which means you can expect more ransomware attacks.

However, successfully fighting off ransomware is tough. Ransomware varieties rapidly evolve and change almost daily. The chances of your antivirus or your antimalware catching it aren’t very good. Since ransomware is spread through a variety of vectors, you can’t depend on some of the more traditional methods such as screening email or social network feeds to reliably bock attacks. Even large companies with good security practices sometimes get stung by ransomware.