CryptoLocker: How to Avoid Losing Everything on your PC

The CryptoLocker Virus is real and can devistate your world. I recently had the "pleasure" of working on a computer which was infected with the CryptoLocker Virus. There was nothing I could do to get back the thousands of photos and documents which were compromised. I ended up wiping the computer's operating system and installed a fresh copy. All the data on the hard drive was lost.

Luckily for the owner he had a backup of most of the data which was compromised. After installing a fresh copy of the operating system all we had to do was restore the lost data. So, what are the steps one needs to take to avoid losing everything on your PC?

1. Most importantly - Take regular backups of you important data (photos and documents) and store them on a device not connected to the device you backed up from.

2. Avoid malware and viruses - Never browse websites which are suspect and never never never open emails (mostly attachments) you are not expecting. One method I use is to open suspect emails on your smart phone first. If they are not legitimate then delete them before you ever touch them on your PC.

3. Keep any malware and anti-virus programs updated. Even though this method isn't fool-proof, keeping these programs updated will decrease the odds you will wind up with at least some of these rogue programs ending up on your computer.

Always think about what could happen if you opened a particular email or clicked on a particular link. Once you open or click it may be too late to turn back.

#smallbusiness