Security News: On 17th of May over 230,000 computers in 160 countries were hit by Ransomware called “WannaCry”. Ransomeware is a strain of malware that encrypts the victims files; These files will no longer work without a unique key generated by the attack. This password is offered to the victim in exchange for bitcoins; a cyber-currency that is untraceable.

In the light of this outbreak; keeping your data secure has never been more important. This blog series will cover what can be done to make sure your data is kept safe.

Anti-Virus 

The first and most obvious step is to make sure you are running an anti-virus, This software runs in the background and protects your PC from viral attacks. Free clients are available that offer basic protection but will lack many features of their paid counterparts. For maximum protection we’d always recommend buying a comprehensive package; This will offer the most day one coverage against new and developing attacks.

MAXED IT RECOMMENDS:

FREE: 

For those who need basic protection we’d recommend AVAST’s free antivirus, It has a much higher detection rate than Microsoft’s Defender (The built in protection on windows 8 and above PC’s)

AVAST FREE

https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

PAID (Home User): 

Kaspersky’s Total Security, an Award-winning anti-virus that comes with lots of features, including compatibility with smart phones and tablets.

kaspersky

https://www.kaspersky.co.uk/total-security

Pair this with Malwarebytes premium, this detects and removes malware in real-time with advanced anti-malware, anti-spyware, and anti-rootkit technology. Scans for the newest and most dangerous threats automatically, so you’re protected without having to even think about it.

malwarebytes

https://www.malwarebytes.com

Business Users:

Maxed IT can provide an anti-virus solution with near-perfect malware detection and robust protection against viruses, spyware and ransomware across all PC’s & servers on your network. Automatic updates and scheduled system scans make it easy to keep the latest threats at bay. To enquire about our RMM package please go to:

Contact

Next week – Security Month: Backing up your data and keeping it safe.

Check back here in a weeks time for our blog post that will cover the best practices when it comes to backing up your data and keeping your files safe.