Ransomware: These are the most common ways hackers get inside your network

Ransomware is a type of malware that uses malicious software to encrypt data on a victim’s computer. The victim’s data is held hostage until a ransom is paid. Ransomware can often spread across a network so that it stops productivity across an entire organization.

The following methods are the most common ways that ransomware infects computer systems:

• Email phishing: Ransomware operators often send malicious files or links over email. The recipient downloads malware if they click the link or open the file. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation report, phishing attacks are becoming more targeted and sophisticated compared to prior methods of generic spam.
• Remote Desktop Protocol: Ransomware actors can access a computer’s data over the internet using a remote desktop. They can either use trial and error to obtain a user’s credentials or find compromised passwords on the dark web to gain access and install malware.
• Software: Cybercriminals can exploit security vulnerabilities in common software programs to access a victim’s system and install malware.