Ransomware at home: keeping twenty years of family photos safe
Ransomware is not only a business problem. A simple backup routine and the right protection mean an attack costs you an evening, not your memories.
Ransomware encrypts files and demands payment for the key. Attackers prefer companies because they pay more, but home computers are hit too — usually through a pirated program, a fake “crack”, a malicious email attachment or an unpatched computer. The files people lose are rarely documents. They are wedding albums, children’s first steps and scans of certificates.
The 3-2-1 routine
- 3 copies of what matters: the original and two backups.
- 2 different kinds of storage, for example the laptop and an external drive.
- 1 copy away from the computer — a drive kept unplugged in a cupboard, or an encrypted cloud copy with version history.
The unplugged copy is the one that saves you: ransomware can only encrypt what it can reach. Plug the drive in once a month, copy the new photos, and unplug it again.
Make the attack less likely
- Keep the operating system and browser up to date — most attacks use flaws that already have a fix.
- Avoid cracked software and “free” versions of paid programs; they are the most common way ransomware reaches homes.
- Use a standard (non-administrator) account for everyday use, especially for children.
How TotalHeal helps
Ransomware Shield watches your protected folders for mass changes and for tampering with hidden decoy files that only ransomware would touch. When it sees an attack it stops the process and names the app responsible. Encrypted, versioned Cloud Backup with ransomware rollback is built for Ultimate and arrives in an upcoming desktop update. See ransomware protection.