Ransomware programs are designed to hold your data hostage and usually require you to pay a significant amount of money before you can get your data back. However, in most cases, you might not even get the encryption key to decrypt all the data, and there is a risk that the perpetrators might just run off with your money. There are several ways by which you can protect yourself against ransomware attacks. In any case, you should install ransomware removal software in your computer, though its effectiveness usually varies.

1. Be Cautious

When it comes to browsing online, you need to be a bit cautious. Make sure you only visit websites that have trusted security certificates, and avoid visiting websites that promise too much. If you are going to click on a link that you think is dubious, avoid doing so. Many websites start downloads in the background that could end up encrypting all of your files.

2. Don’t Download Random Things

A common mistake that most people make is that they tend to download all kinds of weird things on their computer. There’s no need to download a good-looking theme from a website that doesn’t have any security credentials, nor should you download anything that might end up harming your computer. It’s incredibly important that you take care about what you download on your computer. Most browsers nowadays come with dedicated download managers, so they are able to notify you in case something is being downloaded in the background. Cancel the transfers if you know you didn’t initiate them.

3. Never Pay the Ransom

It doesn’t matter how important your data is, you should know that once it is encrypted, it’s not going to be decrypted. You can pay as much money as you want, the chances of getting the encryption key are virtually negligible. Most hackers do not provide any keys, and also take payment through Bitcoin, so there’s no way by which you can track them as well. Not only will you lose your money, but you will also lose your data. There’s simply no point.

4. Use a Virtual Machine

If you are going to download something suspicious on your computer and you feel you have no other option, you should consider using a virtual machine instead. A virtual machine environment allows you to test whatever you want with minimal hindrances, and makes it easy for you to test out whatever you want without having to worry about ransomware at all. Again, make sure you have a powerful ransomware removal tool installed in your computer at all times.

5. Always Use Content Scanning Filters

Ransomware can also enter your computer via email. You need to make sure that you employ high-quality content scanning filters to check for viruses and other issues that might plague your computer, and fix the problem as quickly as possible. These are just a few things that you should keep in mind when it comes to protecting yourself against ransomware attacks.