We take a look at the most destructive cybersecurity incidents of 2017 and look at how you can protect yourself in 2018.
1. WannaCry
Spreading quickly to over 57000 machines in over 150 countries, some called it the biggest ransomware outbreak the Internet had ever seen. It spread through a Windows vulnerability, so moral of the story – keep your system and antivirus up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest infections.
2. Petya
Another ransomware outbreak happened just months after WannaCry, demanding $300, paid in Bitcoin. It was easily spreading via phishing emails. It is always good to beware of phishing emails – if you don’t know the sender – don’t open it!
3. Locky Ransomware
This spread through Microsoft Word documents which allowed an action run that encrypted all your files. Luckily antivirus was able to catch it. Make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus running on your machine today. We recommend McAfee Total Protection, prepare yourself for 2018 with a special discount on McAfee Total Protection here.
4. Bad Rabbit
Spreading through a fake Flash update, it left a ransom note demanding money for your encrypted files. FixMeStick is the best way to remove viruses that have slipped past your antivirus. Get yourself a FixMeStick today to make sure your machine is secure.
5. Equifax Hack
One of the three largest credit agencies, announced that 143 million credit records were stolen between May and July. That meant Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses and credit cards were up for grabs. Keep all your accounts secure with Dashlane Password Manager. Check it out here!
6. KediRAT
A remote-access Trojan (RAT) that was evading antivirus software and stealing data while transmitting it back to hackers using Gmail. Threats like this are designed to hide from antivirus, run a FixMeStick scan to externally clean and remove threats that are hiding.
Stay safe in 2018 by running an up-to-date antivirus as well as FixMeStick scans once a month.
