Dealing With Cryptolocker Ransomware

So what is Cryptolocker and Ransomware? You've likely heard about it on the news and Internet. Ransomware is a classification of malicious software that encrypts data on your computer and potentially your entire business network, then demands you pay a ransom in order to decrypt your data.
The fee is anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands depending on which variant of the infection you have.
To make things worse, most antivirus and anti-malware software is unable to stop it. This virus is incredibly well designed and actually masks itself as a different type of file. It will usually enter your network via a finely crafted email that may look like it came as a scan from your photocopier or a FedEx delivery message etc.
Once you open the file, the infection will run like wild fire through your computer encrypting nearly any file you have access to. It will also connect to any network drive, across your network and into your server files or any other shared files and folders on other computers on your network.
If you don't catch it fast, or if this happens on a Friday afternoon and it runs all weekend when your office is closed, consider your data gone. There is no way to get your data back without doing one of two things:
Pay the ridiculous fee and hope these guys actually give you the decryption key.
Restore your data from backup.
Those are the options. This is why it is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT to make sure you always have up to date and working backups. If you're a business owner and have an IT company managing your technology, make sure it is top priority to have your backups tested on a regular basis!
I cannot stress that enough. TEST YOUR BACKUPS REGULARLY to make sure they are working when you need them. There's nothing worse than having a server crash or a virus infection like Cryptolocker wipe out your entire server and then finding out your backups haven't been working for the past weeks, months or even years!
This can end your business permanently!
An ideal backup solution will include local backup to some sort of file storage device like a NAS (network attached storage) device or even a large USB drive connected to your server. Make sure you're doing full image backups meaning everything is included. Files, settings, programs, the entire operating system should be included.

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