Experts say ransomware attacks, such as a recent case at the University of Calgary, are on the rise
Posted Jun 8, 2016 3:16 pm.
Last Updated Jun 8, 2016 3:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Cyber criminals locked down the university’s computer system and the school agreed to pay 20-thousand dollars in ransom to regain access.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, a joint project of police forces and the federal government, says it’s a growing trend _ one that can be lucrative and hard to trace.
R-C-M-P Corporal Josee Forest says it’s best not to pay ransom, because there is no guarantee computers will be freed up and victims could face more demands for more money.
She says there are good prevention measures, such as frequently backing up computers on separate hard drives.
A security report earlier this year from Symantec said the number of ransomware attacks around the world increased by 35 per cent last year from 2014.
The trend has spread to a variety of operating systems and as well as mobile devices.
