Brock’s Information Technology Services (ITS) team is advising faculty, staff and students to protect themselves from fake ransomware scams that deceive victims into paying a ransom without actually encrypting their files.

While not all ransomware attacks are fake, it is vital to remain vigilant and informed as fake ransomware scams have emerged as a significant cybersecurity threat in recent years.

Fake ransomware messages, which can appear to be from an organization’s IT department, claim that a victim’s files have been encrypted. These threatening messages pressure victims to pay a ransom to avoid permanent data loss or other consequences. When investigated, it generally becomes clear that the victim’s data hasn’t been encrypted and paying the ransom won’t release any files.

Brock users can protect their data from fake ransomware attacks by adopting proactive cybersecurity practices, including:

• Confirming the authenticity of emails or messages before taking action and contacting ITS for help with suspicious messages.
• Backing up important files regularly to external storage or cloud services such as OneDrive.
• Being aware of cybersecurity threats, such as real ransomware attacks, and reporting suspicious activity to ITS.

For assistance with suspicious messages, contact the Brock ITS Help Desk at ithelp@brocku.ca