Cyber attacks are coming to town


Written by: Categories: Business Tips, Cyber Liability, Risk Management

You better watch out, you better not cry, cyber attacks are coming to town

Sadly, anybody that uses a computer is at risk of a various forms of cyber attacks.  DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN!  A friend of mine was recently a victim of a ransomeware attack and had to shell out $300 to the culprits in order to get the computer’s files back. As cyber attacks become more sophisticated and widespread, it’s not always easy to spot malicious code.

What is Ransomeware?

The recent WannaCry attack which affected over 200,000 users in at least 150 countries, used ransomware to hijack computer systems and demand money in the form of bitcoin, a type of digital payment system.

The ransomware initially requested around $300 and, if no payment was made, it threatened to double the amount after three days and delete files within seven days. These types of cyber attacks are common and can affect almost anyone.

So now that I’ve spread the fear, I’m going to throw out a few precautions that may save you a huge headache.  It’s not really possible to avoid cyber risks altogether. However, it is possible to reduce the chance of falling victim to cyber attacks — if you know what to look for and what to avoid.

A few precautions include:

More About PII

PII is information that can be used to uniquely identify, contact or locate a single person. PII includes but is not limited to:

If You Believe Your PII Has Been Compromised:

DOWNLOAD our Quick tips guide to protecting yourself against Cyber Attacks.

For more useful tip, check out our Resource Centre.

To report a cyber crime, visit the Government of Canada’s Website Public Safety Canada.