An online guide to protecting your computer and smartphone from malware threats.
Written by an online user with the name Raffaeli, the guide shows how to block the most common viruses and phishing scams, such as the popular WannaCry ransomware, and how to stop hackers from stealing your personal information.
The guide is a must-read for anyone concerned about their personal data, but it also contains a list of other software that can be used to help prevent ransomware attacks.
It’s important to know how to use all of the different software on your computer, but if you’re just starting out, the list below should help you stay safe.1.
WannaCrypt: An online tool to protect your files, from malware to a ransomware attackThe WannaCrypt ransomware, which was discovered in July and has been spreading rapidly around the world, encrypts files on infected computers.
The software encrypts your files using a digital key that’s sent over the Internet, making it impossible to get them back.
2.
Wannacrypt: A new version of the WannaCrack ransomware that blocks the use of popular file-sharing websites2,5.
Wank: A popular ransomware that has infected more than 300,000 computers worldwide and infected about 2 million peopleThis ransomware has become so popular, it has infected around 300,099 computers around the globe and infected more more than 2 million individuals, according to a study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab.
3.
Wampie: An old variant of ransomware that uses a key to unlock filesThe Wampia ransomware, also known as the Wampi, has been around since 2014, and it was discovered to be a variant of the ransomware Wanna-Crypt that uses encryption keys to encrypt files on computers infected with the ransomware.
4.
Wamper: A collection of more than 600 software-protected files on a Mac computerThe WamPER ransomware, known as WAMPER, encrypt a file using a key that encrypts the file’s contents.
5.
Whamper (also known as wamper.exe): An ancient variant of Wamper that is still out there and still vulnerable to being cracked by antivirus programsThe WAMPY ransomware, named for its first victim, is a collection of thousands of software-protection files on Mac computers.
6.
Whistle: A ransomware variant that encrypting your files is an easy way to steal your dataThe Whistle ransomware is an old variant that uses an encrypted file to encrypt the contents of a file, which can be a file on your Mac, a file in a cloud storage, or a folder in a shared folder.
7.
Wipe: A virus-protection program that deletes files after a virus has been detectedOnce a virus infection has been identified, it’s a good idea to delete any files on your hard drive that contain viruses, malware, or other unwanted files.
8.
WordCrypt: A digital file encryption program that uses cryptography to protect filesThe WordCrypt ransomware is one of the most popular ransomware variants in the world.
Wordcrypt encrypts a file by using a unique digital key to encrypt it. 9.
Wump: A powerful ransomware variant with an ability to infect Macs and Windows computersThe Wump ransomware encrypts messages and emails in a variety of ways, including the use, copying, or sending of attachments, files, or images.
10.
Wumbrella: A malware scanner that can detect ransomware variantsWumbrella is a malware scanner for Mac computers that can scan a wide range of ransomware variants for their signature.
11.
Windows Defender: A cyber security tool that can protect against ransomware threatsThe Windows Defender antivirus software has become one of its most popular tools for protecting against ransomware attacks, but many people have found that they can get ransomware attacks to work on their computers using other tools.
12.
Windows XP: An outdated tool that is susceptible to ransomware attacksThis ransomware variant has been a favorite of ransomware users since 2014 when it infected at least 2 million computers around North America, according a Kasperski Lab report.
13.
Windows Live: An easy-to-use online tool that blocks unwanted software from infecting your computerWindows Live is a program that can block the installation of unwanted software, such a ransomware infection, in your computer.
14.
WinRAR: An open-source software that helps you keep your personal data safeThe WinRar ransomware can be downloaded as a free, commercial program or purchased for $49.99 on the Microsoft site.
15.
WinSCP: An encrypted file transfer program for MacsThe WinSCP ransomware encryptes files on compromised computers.
It uses a file-encrypting function that encrypt files in a way that’s difficult to decrypt by other programs.
16.
Winlock: An advanced ransomware threat scannerWinlock is a popular ransomware threat-scan