Two cyber security companies have announced the emergence of a certain potent malware called The Industroyer or CrashOverride, claiming it to be the “biggest threat to industrial control systems since Stuxnet.”
Slovakian IT security company ESET said that a group of hackers are responsible for the development of the virus, and suspects that it may be behind the one-hour shutdown of electricity to Ukraine last December.
ESET also said that the way this malware works is by utilizing communication protocols and targets energy, transportation, water, and gas systems around the world.
Although the security firms said that the Industroyer is not powerful enough to shut down an entire city’s power grid, it can still affect many areas for days.
As vigilant netizens, we must make sure that our computers are protected from digital threats like this, too. Here’s how you can keep it safe from hackers, malware, and other viruses.
Don’t respond to anything in your spam folder
This is probably one of the easiest ways as this trick still gets a lot people falling for the virus. Unless it’s from a verified account or someone you know personally, refrain from opening suspicious emails and delete them immediately.
Create an offline backup of all your files
File backups are made easier because of online data storage, but nothing beats the old school way of keeping it safe in external hard disk drives. Ransomware, another type of malware, targets online files (personal information, photos, financial information) and ‘kidnaps’ them in exchange for Bitcoin (a type of digital currency). The best defense against ransomware is to simply do an offline backup of your most important files.
Keep your software updated
Software updates often come with stronger resistance against viruses and malware, so if your PC requests for an update (which we sometimes ignore), it’s always best to accept. It doesn’t hurt to install anti-virus plug-ins as well to protect your online activities when you’re on the internet.
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