In today’s article we will talk about How to protect my Office 365 data from ransomware and malware attacks? Before entering fully into the subject, we have to contextualize ourselves on these topics.
To begin with, Office is a set of programs created by Microsoft, which is used mainly in offices, doing office-type tasks , which improve office activities and automate them.
This set of programs is very familiar in the academic stage, because it is the most popular for doing work or mind maps , with Word and PowerPoint being the most popular programs worldwide.
Office 365 programs have a set of templates to speed up the creation of a job or presentation. Additionally, information can be stored in the cloud on OneDrive with an Outlook user.
A large number of companies usually have important information deposited in Office 365, such information can be internal audits , market analysis, etc.
Having this valuable information, there are malicious software called Malware, which aim to affect some function or file of the computer . There are several types of malware, but the one we will talk about today is about ransomware.
The ransomware is focused on encrypting the data on a computer, making it impossible to access it . These malicious software ask for an amount of money to give access to this data, preferably using hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies as a payment method. The way they manifest themselves can even pose as a police blockade by asking for money for a fine.
By paying the requested amount of money there is the possibility that the files will be released, or that they will be deleted instantly . It is a great risk that we must avoid, because no user is free to suffer from these malware, and that is why today we will show you how to protect your Office 365 data from ransomware attacks.
What can I do to protect my data in Office 365 from ransomware attacks?
Microsoft is no stranger to the ransomware attacks that happen to some users, so over time it has strengthened the way it protects the files at its disposal, updating its antivirus in its operating systems , programs and files in the cloud.
The main tool of Office 365 against ransomware is OneDrive for Business , maintaining a reinforced protection, storage of files in backup, recovering the files that have been lost.
It is important that once we know that we have a ransomware in a file, we delete it before restoring the backup, because otherwise the other files will be infected again. In turn, OneDrive can identify anomalies related to ransomware.
How can I prevent ransomware from adding to my computer?
Malicious ransomware-type software has the ability to damage other types of files as well as information, such as programs that a company uses on a day-to-day basis, damaging its productivity. To avoid having ransomware on our computer, we must know how it is added to our computer. Next, we will look at some of the more common ways that ransomware is added to a computer.
- One of the most common ways in which ransomware is spread is usually through an email , where a compressed file containing the ransomware is attached. Emails usually look quite authentic, in order for the victim to fall, so we must be aware that it is an official email address
- These viruses can also come in automatic downloads, which can be started by a program or website. To avoid this we must not accept any download that has not been approved by us . Similarly, browsers tend to block downloads that are not approved, always requiring a permission first.
We hope this article has been useful to you, inviting you to reinforce the security of files that are of great importance, and avoiding falling into the strategies used to infiltrate a ransomware in our computer.
