Which Type of Device is the Top Target of Ransomware?

Ransomware is malware that has a significant threat to users from all over the world. The users from different fields are affected by this malware. Not only PC users but also smartphone users are not safe from this malware threat. In this article, we are going to discuss what devices are the target of Ransomware threats. Those are as follows: 

How does the Ransomware attack take place?

Ransomware comes with different types of forms to attack a particular system. However, some form attacks successfully encrypt files stored in a system. Whereas the other types of attacks completely block the users from accessing their system.

Smartphones also can be a subject to the target of Ransomware. In this scenario, the user is asked to pay a ransom in the form of bitcoin to unlock the system. 

The amount of ransom can be varied between 200 to 2000 US dollars. However, this amount of ransom becomes even more, depending upon the targeted field.

People who use this method to attack the victim’s device with Ransomware malware find those devices which this Ransomware malware can easily attack. The victims might lose their files or important documents if they do not pay the ransom.

However, this problem is minor for the individuals who already have their backups. However, this can be harmful to the business sector and other related fields.

How does the victim fall into this trap and easily become the target of Ransomware?

Some people become too easy targets of Ransomware due to their online activities. Those are as follows: 

1. In certain instances, people clicking on malicious links might fall into the trap. This link can be in the mail, in a document, or on any website. 
2. In some cases, the user downloads any file, either knowingly or unintentionally, containing some malware. This could be another way to fool the victim.

Who is the easy target of Ransomware malware?

The targets of Ransomware are pretty easy and specific. Although there are possibilities that everyone can be a target of Ransomware.

Some industries, sectors, and firms do not have much protection. So they become vulnerable in front of a cyberattack. Therefore, they are the easy target of Ransomware too. Business industries, IT sectors, Hospital and health care sectors, education sectors, government sectors, and many more with important and essential data can be a target of Ransomware.

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Here is a list of easy target Ransomware described down below:

1. Government Organizations: 
   It is easy to understand that different government organizations like police station systems, financial systems, and different types of offices are easy to cyber attacks. This is because they are not always protected with end-to-end point encryption. Moreover, the system of any government organization is not always updated regularly. Therefore, those kinds of government sectors are easy targets of Ransomware. 
2. Healthcare and hospital systems:
   The Healthcare system in many countries becomes vulnerable in front of those cyberattacks and is an easy target of Ransomware. The Healthcare system is the most important part of the emergency sector, and it is full of data related to the health of millions of patients. Therefore, if any Ransomware attack occurs, the hospital or the healthcare authority needs to get out of this immediately. Therefore, cyber attackers usually target the healthcare system more.
3. Education sectors:
   During the very beginning, the cyber attackers target the educational sectors like colleges, institutes, schools, and many more. The main reason behind it is that the education sector was not too worried about cyber attacks before Ransomware. Education sectors do not have much support team(IT support) or have enough protection in front of cyberattacks. Education sectors also have plenty of data of thousands of students like marks, personal information, identity numbers, and more. Therefore, they were the easy target of Ransomware in the beginning.
4. Human Resource Sectors:
   Any business firm, IT sectors, industry, and more have their human resource department. Therefore, the cyber attackers target the human resource sectors by sending e-mail(ex: for job applications) containing malicious links or attachments. If anyone from the HR department opens the mail and click on the link or attachment, then they will become a subject to the target of Ransomware. 

What are the ways to Possible ways to Prevent Ransomware Attacks?

There are some ways to prevent these Ransomware attacks. Those are as follows:

1. With the use of good quality, the antivirus could work. It can prevent Ransomware from targeting the user from any possible attack. Regular scanning and database updates with a good quality antivirus will help a lot.
2. Be aware of opening emails received from an unknown person with malicious links or attachments. It can be a good way to keep the system secured. In addition, avoiding unknown websites could be an important factor for the possible Ransomware attack. 
3. All the apps, software, cloud storage, and even the operating system must be patched and updated. It could prevent possible Ransomware attacks. 
4. The end-to-end encryption policy could help to provide better security to the user. Closing the user of web browser also helps a lot in this issue. Avoiding third-party applications could be a better choice to avoid Ransomware attacks.
5. Keeping a backup of your data in a device with no internet connection could be a smart choice to secure the data.

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Conclusion

Organizations and sectors with little to poor security could lead to cyber-attack. Therefore, it could be an easy target of Ransomware. Therefore, to avoid being the target of a Ransomware attack, the user needs to follow the methods mentioned above.