Avoiding Ransomware

Imagine if someone took everything from your room and refused to give it back unless you gave them money. That’s basically how ransomware works, but with the data on your phone or computer.

Ransomware is a type of malware. Malware is short for malicious software (Malicious, by the way, is a way to describe someone's actions as evil or with bad intent). Basically, malware is anything that gets downloaded onto your device and hurts it. Ransomware, specifically, takes your files and makes it so that you can’t access them. Once that happens, the hacker says they’ll only give them back if you pay them a ransom.

In order to infect your device with ransomware, a hacker has to get access to your phone or computer. The most common ways that happens are:

• Email—scammers trick you into clicking a disguised link that downloads malware.
• Vulnerable software—hackers find holes in software that’s not properly protected. If you download something, even if it seems safe, you may accidentally infect your computer.
• Pirated software—scammers that have disguised malware as something trustworthy so that you’ll download it.
• Removable devices like a USB drive—hackers infect a device in the hopes that you will plug it into a computer.

Once ransomware is on your computer, the hacker can encrypt your data so that you can’t access it. You can think of it like this: ransomware enters the computer, gathers as much data as it can get its sticky little hands on, rushes that data into a room, and locks the door. The only one with the key to that door is the hacker.

Be careful of where you click. Whether you’re following a link or downloading a new game, you should be cautious. One wrong move can have big consequences. When in doubt, don’t click.

Back up your data. Creating a backup of your data means you have a copy of it somewhere safe, like an external hard drive or the cloud. That way, if someone did try to ransom your data back to you, you would already have it.

Step 1: Try to figure out where the attack came from.

Step 2: Separate the infected device from all other devices by deleting any paired devices from the Bluetooth settings or even physically unplugging any other devices connected to the computer.

Step 3: Report the attack to the FBI using the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Step 4: Try to remove the software. An adult can help you with that. While it might be costly, you can also take it to a pro. They can help you get rid of the malware, restore the data, or wipe your computer entirely. Paying the ransom may not actually make the hacker return your things and leave you alone, so it’s best not to do so if you can avoid it.