How to Prevent & Remove Ransomware from Your System?

Have you ever been victimized by a ransomware attack? Ransomware is the modern form of thievery. It is a computer program that encrypts specific types of files and demands money to bring them back to their initial state.

The developers of ransomware are so smart that they leave you no choice other than to go for the backup. Are you afraid of ransomware? Do you want to know how to prevent or remove them in case your system gets infected?

Don’t worry! That’s exactly what we are going to deal with here. Here I will talk more about prevention and cure rather than the working of ransomware.

So, without further ado let’s move on to the core of the post. First, you will read how to prevent ransomware, then the steps of how to remove ransomware if in case your PC gets infected.

How to Prevent Ransomware Getting Into Your System?

We all know that prevention is better than cure. A little extra care about what you do on your computer helps you stay out of the league of this messy ransomware stuff. So here are the 6 best ways to prevent ransomware to get into your system.

#1. Backup Your Data

Yeah, you have to take regular backups. Even the most secure antivirus on your computer doesn’t guarantee full protection from threats.

So, you must take a backup of your data at regular intervals. You can use cloud storage services as well. But I recommend you stay away from Google Drive because there is some ransomware that has the capability to affect even the files there.

You can use tools like COMODO Backup for this purpose.

#2. Do Not Open Attachments from Unknown Email Addresses

The most commonly used way to spread ransomware is through emails. Hackers integrate ransomware cleverly into normal files like PDF documents. Even a person who knows about computers thinks that threats come with EXE files only.

For the same reason, they proceed to open other attachments no matter where they come from. Don’t do that!

Some email programs will allow you to filter out unreliable senders, but you must check the credibility of the sender regardless. If you have no idea about the sender or the subject stated in the mail, you must stay away from the attachment.

#3. Keep Your Software Updated

The sneakers are busy finding the loopholes in the software we use every day. Once they find out about it, it won’t take too long for the exploitation. As they target the same loophole multiple times, users report the same to the company. That’s how security updates and patches come out.

If you are a person who overlooks patches and updates of software, it’s time to change your mind. Make sure all your software and OS are updated. In case they aren’t, go on and update.

#4. Download and Use Cryptolocker Prevention Kit

Third Tier has developed a Cryptolocker Prevention Kit. It doesn’t allow your computer to execute files from App Data and Local App Data folders. Most of the malicious files target those two folders.

In case you have any legitimate software that needs the facility of running files from Data folders, I don’t recommend you do this step. Cryptolocker Prevention Kit gets updated regularly as new threats come out.

#5. Use a Reputable Security Suite

I hope I don’t have to tell you this. You have a good antivirus tool on your computer, don’t you?

In case you don’t, stop hesitating to do that. There are a lot of free and paid antivirus tools available on the web. In free department, my suggestion is Avast; when it comes to free, Bitdefender is good.

#6. Cut the Internet Connection

What should you do to open a suspicious file that may be ransomware?

If you don’t see anything in 2-3 seconds, cut the internet connection; LAN, Wi-Fi or anything. It helps us stop the communication between the parent server and the ransomware.

That was all about how to prevent ransomware from getting into your system. But if the ransomware succeeds in penetrating your system’s security, then you are in deep trouble. Either you need to pay a ransom amount or use decryptor tools and follow the below-given tools to remove ransomware without any hassles!

How to Remove Ransomware?

What if your computer gets affected by ransomware? How to remove ransomware? Use the following tools to remove it without any hassles.

#1. System Restore

You don’t have to download any specific tool for this.

In Windows:-

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F8 while it boots up.

Step 2: You have to select safe mode with a command prompt from the following screen.

Step 3: As the CMD window occurs, you have to enter cd restore and rstrui.exe one by one into it.

Step 4: You will get the system restore wizard. Just go with the on-screen instructions. The rest of the process is easy.

In Mac:-

Step 1: Restart your Mac machine and while this happens, press Command+ R. You can release them when the Apple logo becomes visible.

Step 2: Click on Disk Utility and hit Continue. You will get the disk utility.

Step 3: Click the first disk button from the right sidebar. Then, go with Repair Disk.

Step 4: In case your disk has any errors, it will be corrected. After that, select Quit Disk Utility.

Step 5: Can you see a Reinstall OSX option? Go with it.

Step 6: Follow on screen instructions and provide your Apple ID credentials. There you go! Your computer will have a fresh copy of OSX without the loss of your existing data.

#2. Cybereason’s Ransomfree

Update: It’s not available anymore. They’re more into services now!

Ransomfree is a free anti-ransomware developed by Cybereason.

Install the software as usual. Then, it will run in the background as a fully functional antivirus. Whenever you try to open a file with attached ransomware, it will alert you about the same. You can choose to remove the threat right away.

Of course, it saves you from recurring threats as well.

#3. Ransomwhere

The tool I have mentioned above is for Windows.

Unlike the above given one, Ransomwhere focuses more on the decryption part rather than the prevention. It uses a mathematical algorithm to scan and find infected files.

Conclusion of Ransomware Prevention & Removal!

So, that’s it!

I hope you know how to prevent and remove Ransomware now. There are a lot of prevention tools available on the web that you can use apart from the ones I have mentioned here. Stay updated with all Ransomware news on our blog.