1492 wrote:
fj12ryder wrote:
Yeah, maybe. But I believe a lot of the successful ransomware attacks have been on Windows 10 machines ...
That's not quite the complete story. Those recent ransomware attacks were the result of social engineering malware, where the end user allowed the malware to run by falling for phishing emails.
Good luck running Window XP/7 on the internet, as hackers only need to exploit an unpatched vulnerability and install malware without you knowing it. Even kill/disable any security software you have running.
To expand on this, Kaspersky data suggested 98% of the WannaCry ransomware infections involved unpatched WIN 7 machines. Not WIN 10 PCs. One of the biggest reasons to keep your OS and software updated. Notably bad for unsupported systems.
You need to take ransomeware seriously as new more dangerous variants are popping up in the wild. Many evolving into extortionware, were hackers threaten to post or sell sensitive info. such as financial, medical, etc. on the Net without payment.
There is also a variant of ransomware as a service, where hackers license their cloud service or software to other bad actors in exchange for a percent of the ransom payment.
