'No More Ransom': A Summer Ransomware Project by Tech Security Giants

Europol, the Dutch national police, McAfee, Intel Security and Kaspersky Labs have spent this past summer helping victims of ransomware. Calling themselves the “No More Ransom Project,” the group helps people learn about ransomware and how to prevent it, as well as offering tools to help victims recover lost data.

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A Web Portal Dedicated to Preventing and Solving Ransomware Exploits

Ransomware has become an epidemic for people surfing the web. According to McAfee’s quarterly threats report, the exploit has increased 113 percent since last year.

The No More Ransom Project is dedicated to educating the public about this malicious activity. The group also offers decryption keys to help people recover their files. The project’s website states:

Since it is much easier to avoid the threat than to fight against it once the system is affected, the project also aims to educate users about how ransomware works and what countermeasures can be taken to effectively prevent infection. The more parties supporting this project, the better the results can be. This initiative is open to other public and private parties.

Many people believe paying the attackers is a mistake because it encourages them to continue this lucrative business. However, last year the FBI said that paying the ransom may be the best method to free locked files.

Joseph Bonavolonta, of the Cyber and Counterintelligence Program at the FBI’s Boston office, said, “if the ransomware is that good. . .To be honest, we often advise people just to pay the ransom.”

The No More Ransom project works to arm people against ransomware, so they don’t have to take the FBI’s advice of giving up and paying the criminals.

Don’t Pay the Ransom: Decryption Tools Give the Possibility of Recovering Lost Data

In addition to preventative measures, the project offers recovery tools that give people a chance at reclaiming their data.

The website also has a tool called the “Crypto Sheriff.” This utility helps people figure out which ransomware they have and provides links to the correct decryption keys. The No Ransom Project says it expects more organizations to join the initiative and plans to add more decryption tools in the future.

The project currently offers seven decryption tools — and instructions on how to use them — for the following ransomware exploits: wildfire, chimera, teslacrypt, shade, coinvault, rannoh, and rakhni.

Getting infected by ransomware can be very annoying, often leading to the loss of valuable data. The No More Ransomware Project wants to help people discover what they can do on their own without paying. There definitely are ways to escape the severity of ransomware without giving in to the attacker. At Bitcoin.com we also encourage people to take the necessary precautions so they can have better online experiences without fear.

What do you think about the No More Ransomware Project? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: No More Ransom Project

Images via Shutterstock, No More Ransom.

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