If there’s one thing we know about cybercrooks, it’s that they are persistent. When they find a formula that works, they’ll keep on using and improving upon that formula until it no longer gets the job done.

Ransomware that hijacks your files and locks them up using unbreakable encryption has been quite successful for the crooks, making it a widespread and major threat for home users and businesses alike. If you don’t have preventative measures in place and get hit with ransomware, one way or another you will end up paying the price.

In recent months we’ve seen new strains of ransomware crop up that show the problem isn’t going away any time soon. The nasty ransomware known as Locky has been infecting Windows computers through malicious email attachments. There’s even ransomware targeting Android, Linux and Mac.

In light of this ongoing threat, Sophos has created a new resource showing you How to stay protected against ransomware. It’s an easy-to-follow guide offering best practices for keeping your data secure, including how to configure your security, train your staff, and back up your files.

This guide covers:

• How ransomware attacks work
• Why ransomware infections continue to spread despite existing security measures
• Practical short and long-term steps you should take to stay protected against ransomware
• How to optimally configure your Sophos solutions to protect against ransomware

Download the whitepaper now to see how you can stay safe from current and future ransomware threats – it’s a free resource, with no registration required.

You can stay up-to-date with evolving threats and get security advice from Sophos experts by following us on social media and subscribing to our blogs.

Visit our award-winning Naked Security blog to read up on our recent research and top security tips for stopping ransomware threats:

• Locky ransomware – what you need to know
• Security vs convenience: the story of ransomware spread by spam
• Got ransomware? What are your options

Listen to the Sophos Techknow podcast below for a quick educational course on ransomware, as Sophos experts Chester Wisniewski and Paul Ducklin explain how ransomware works and what to do about it.

You can read the original article here.