The era of ransomware is upon us. Organizations, small businesses and individuals have been affected by dangerous ransomware attacks in past years. Ransom, that refers to some kind of payment that is demanded in exchange for the release of someone or something that has been taken, is a yet effective ploy that has been used by criminals for many years. Locky, a new variant of ransomware, encrypts files of cybernauts and adds a .locky file extension to them, leaving them unaccessible until the ransom is paid. Actively spreading since February 2016, this infection has been the most threatening this year.

Data is the most valuable thing for any individual or organization, so it is understandable that many business owners are rightfully concerned about the rising threat of ransomware. The most important aspects to consider are the steps that common users and professionals should take to protect organization and personal data from these ransomware attacks.

‘No malware is pleasant, but there is something truly awful about ransomware. Paying the ransom is not just a declaration of defeat, but also a confession that preventative measures weren’t taken. Cybersecurity awareness, a robust email security solution, internet monitoring software, and protecting your endpoints will go a long way to better prevent ransomware,’ says Sergio Galindo, President and COO of GFI Software, a company creating solutions that allow companies to protect from various cyber threats.

Over the last few years, several software companies have released solutions which can protect your organization from ransomware threats such as Locky. These solutions bring the protection against malicious email attacks and ensure that every employee’s web browsing and downloading is secure.

The solutions provided by GFI Software are not only limited to organizations, individual users and small businesses can also use the software. GFI WebMonitor can allow you to monitor and control your web activity along with management of internet usage of your employees, so that no unsafe websites can be accessed from your corporate network. GFI MailEssentials will help you and your organization to fight against ransomware attacks coming through emails. The solution enables effective spam filtering and blocks emails containing malwares like Locky.

Organizations need to reshape their cyber security policies, if they want to stay ahead of new ransomware threats. Deploying the necessary security solutions with immediate effect is the only way to secure the precious data of an organization.