Brock\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Fake ransomware messages, which can appear to be from an organization\u2019s IT department, claim that a victim\u2019s 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\u2019s data hasn\u2019t been encrypted and paying the ransom won\u2019t release any files.<\/p>\n
Brock users can protect their data from fake ransomware attacks by adopting proactive cybersecurity practices, including:<\/p>\n