WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.950 --> 00:00:02.900 You wake up your computer but instead of that Google Doc 2 00:00:02.900 --> 00:00:05.242 you were working on, it's a message: your files and 3 00:00:05.242 --> 00:00:07.250 documents have been encrypted if you want the code 4 00:00:07.250 --> 00:00:10.711 to bring them back, pay up in bitcoin. 5 00:00:10.711 --> 00:00:12.490 Hello, you've just met Ransomware. 6 00:00:12.490 --> 00:00:14.388 It's the worst. 7 00:00:14.388 --> 00:00:15.476 line:15% My name is Brian Barrett. 8 00:00:15.476 --> 00:00:17.405 line:15% I'm Wired's news editor and this is Your Guide To 9 00:00:17.405 --> 00:00:19.096 Staying Safe On The Internet. 10 00:00:19.096 --> 00:00:22.214 Ransomware has been around for years but a recent 11 00:00:22.214 --> 00:00:24.607 surge in popularity has made everyone from hospitals 12 00:00:24.607 --> 00:00:27.036 to small business owners to well, 13 00:00:27.036 --> 00:00:29.507 you, more vulnerable than ever. 14 00:00:29.507 --> 00:00:31.352 Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself 15 00:00:31.352 --> 00:00:34.841 that don't involve dipping into your digital wallet. 16 00:00:34.841 --> 00:00:37.685 First, ransomware is just malware with a fun name 17 00:00:37.685 --> 00:00:39.449 and a dash of extortion. 18 00:00:39.449 --> 00:00:41.731 So all the things that you do to avoid malware, 19 00:00:41.731 --> 00:00:43.860 the not opening untrusted emails, 20 00:00:43.860 --> 00:00:45.523 and not clicking strange links, 21 00:00:45.523 --> 00:00:48.879 that will keep you safe here too but even if you slip 22 00:00:48.879 --> 00:00:51.296 there's a straightforward way to protect yourself. 23 00:00:51.296 --> 00:00:53.332 Back up your stuff, all of it. 24 00:00:53.332 --> 00:00:55.978 I know it's a pain, but seriously, do it. 25 00:00:55.978 --> 00:00:58.282 See in most cases, ransomware locks up what's only 26 00:00:58.282 --> 00:01:01.334 on your actual computer so if you've got a carbon copy 27 00:01:01.334 --> 00:01:04.132 somewhere in the cloud or even on a backup hard drive, 28 00:01:04.132 --> 00:01:05.991 all you have to do is wipe your desktop and restore 29 00:01:05.991 --> 00:01:07.997 your data from the backup. 30 00:01:07.997 --> 00:01:09.010 You're back in business. 31 00:01:09.010 --> 00:01:10.982 Oh, and if it happens at work, tell 32 00:01:10.982 --> 00:01:13.163 your sys admin ASAP, the last thing you want is 33 00:01:13.163 --> 00:01:15.226 for ransomware to spread across the network 34 00:01:15.226 --> 00:01:17.197 then everybody's in trouble. 35 00:01:17.197 --> 00:01:19.435 So what happens if you click a malicious link, 36 00:01:19.435 --> 00:01:21.012 you get locked out of your computer, 37 00:01:21.012 --> 00:01:22.431 and you don't have a backup, 38 00:01:22.431 --> 00:01:24.047 whether to pay up is your choice, 39 00:01:24.047 --> 00:01:26.030 just remember that while they'll probably give you 40 00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:28.086 the code that unlocks your stuff, they could 41 00:01:28.086 --> 00:01:30.669 also just ask for more bitcoin.