How to protect your computer from ransomware - using automatic backup

Summary: Ransomware / Cryptovirus is a virus that encrypts all your files, and demands money for to get your stuff back. It is difficult to prevent a ransomware attack. Traditional backups, as well as Cloud backup / Dropbox, are frequently not able to help.

Zinstall Backup is specially built to protect your stuff from a ransomware attack, using its SecureZone technology. It keeps an always-up-to-date backup of all files, settings and programs, which is protected from ransomware encryption. This means that in case of a ransomware attack (or any other damage to your computer), you can simply reset the computer, and restore your programs, settings and files from Zinstall Backup - and get back to work easily and quickly.

In recent years, a new and dangerous type of virus has appeared - Ransomware. It has many flavors, among them Cerber, Browlock, Cryptowall, Cryptolocker, Locky, CryptoDefense, Ransomware, Wildfire, Shade, Rannoh, Rakhni, TeslaCrypt, Chimera, Xorist, ConVault and Bitcryptor.

When ransomware attacks a computer, it encrypts all user files on it, such as documents, pictures, emails, videos, any files that have been created by the user.

It then demands a ransom - typically about $500 - to decrypt those files. If you don't pay it in 3 days, they will also delete the key and those files will be gone forever.

It is next to impossible to be completely sure that you will not fall victim to a ransomware attack. However, you can be ready for it.

The best way to prepare is to have a full, up to date backup of the computer.
However, that backup may also be encrypted by ransomware, making it useless.
As an example, if you use Dropbox to store your files, the Dropbox folder will be encrypted as well. Same goes for other online backup services, and most local backups.

Zinstall Backup , on the other hand, uses a unique SecureZone technology, which acts as total block from ransomware attacks. It simply does not allow any application which is not Zinstall Backup itself to change the backup files. So when the ransomware virus attempts to encrypt them, it will fail to do so.

This means that in the event of a ransomware attack, your Zinstall Backup will keep your files, settings and programs safely protected. All you need to do is simply reset the infected computer to factory settings (in Windows 10, it is done with just a couple of clicks in using the Reset function), and restore your stuff back from Zinstall Backup.

As always, Zinstall Backup is always on, and constantly keeps your files and programs protected, up to an hour ago. Nothing is lost, and you can get back to work in no time.

Similar to other viruses, ransomware generally spreads through malicious email attachments, or malicious pop-ups / ads on shady websites.

If you get an email and are not sure who has sent it to you, do NOT open the attachment!

If you are on a website that is not a well-known, established company, do NOT click on any ads or download any software to your computer!

Stay safe online, and only open applications that you are absolutely sure about.

When ransomware infects your computer, it disables key system tools, and starts encrypting your files. This encryption process may take a long time, especially if you have a lot of files to encrypt. Depending on ransomware type, you may see this process as it is happening. If you see a file that has suddenly become unreadable / encrypted, turn your computer off immediately to prevent further encryption.

When you get hit by Ransomware, or any other virus, you have several options to proceed.

If you are using Zinstall Backup, your are in luck, and the recovery process will be quite simple:

If you did not have a backup, or if you were using a non-Zinstall backup that got encrypted, you unfortunately do not have a lot of options. We recommend checking several options for ransomware removal, such as this page by Kaspersky.

Regardless of outcome, make sure to protect your computer from future attacks with a solid backup plan!