Page 52 - Cyber Warnings

In order to prevent damage and exposure of sensitive data, make sure employees are trained to
recognize the signs of a scam.

How to Protect from Ransomware
Ransomware can be costly and time consuming to remove. But with minimal extra effort, here’s
you can defend yourself and your data from potential threats.

1. Make sure you have backups of all your information. The best way to do this is with
removable media, such as an external hard drive (which you should store disconnected
from your computer), or through a cloud backup service.
2. The individual has the ultimate responsibility for the links that he or she clicks on or the
files that he or she downloads.

Always be certain that the link or file is from a safe and trusted source.

Be careful; many sites have “Download” buttons, and only one of them is the right one. If
you are unsure about a link or file, always contact an IT Specialist before opening it.

3. Be sure you have an up-to-date Anti-Virus program running on your computers and
mobile devices.

An Anti-Virus program can block the installation of malicious files even if they are
inadvertently downloaded.
4. Create volume shadow copies on Windows file shares, setting a max size so as not to
run out of space, and keeping copies for at least three months.

5. Keep all operating systems up to date with patches.

6. Ensure you have a robust firewall in place. Geo-block IPs from countries such as Russia
and China. Block known malicious TOR IPs.
7. Create and maintain a good Spam filter for email. The filter can be set up to block emails
with certain kinds of attachments, such as .exe, .rar, and .vbs files.

8. Make sure the permissions for access to shared drives are tightly controlled. Only give
access when needed.

9. Set up Group Policies:
a. Restrict applications from running in appdata directories

b. Block executables from running in compressed files

c. Disable Auto Play

d. Disable Office Macros

52 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – September 2016 Edition
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