Acer Aspire 1655 Manuale d'uso - Pagina 46

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46 - Internet and online security

Common threats cybercriminals use

Now you know a few very common ways cybercriminals try to sneak

onto your device or trick you into providing private information to them

directly. Here are a few of the types of malware they like to deploy

once they've got into a device and what to do if you're ever infected.

Ransomware

A form of malware that will encrypt personal data files on your

computer and attached devices. Encryption converts files into another

format, that can only be opened with a specific decryption key. Once

the ransomware installs itself, it will display a warning message that

the computer is now locked. The user is given a specific amount of

money to pay as a "fine" and a timeframe in which to pay. Even if

paid, the criminal might choose to not unencrypt the files anyway!

What to do if you're infected: Avoid getting infected in the first place

by staying protected with internet security software like Norton

Security. Also, perform regular backups of all your data either online

or to a separate external hard drive that is only attached to your

computer while performing the backup. Ransomware has been known

to lock access to external hard drives attached to the computer.

If you are infected with ransomware, think twice before you pay the

ransom. There is no guarantee the cybercriminal will unlock your files

and you'll be funding them to prey upon another innocent victim.

Botnets

A botnet is a string of infected, connected computers coordinated

together to perform a task. Botnets gain access to your machine

through some piece of malicious coding. Once the software is

downloaded, the botnet will now contact its master computer and let it

know that everything is ready to go. Now your computer, phone,

tablet, or IoT device is entirely under the control of the person who

created the botnet. Most people who are infected with botnets aren't

even aware that their computer's security has become compromised!

What to do if you're infected: If you're infected you probably don't

realize it as bots are notoriously quiet. Your Internet Service Provider

might send you a notification alerting you that they found a threat on

your network and that you need to remove the bot. If you have a bot,