Do not pay the hackers. Visit the No More Ransom Project , a collaborative initiative by law enforcement and IT security companies. They host a massive repository of free decryption keys for hundreds of known ransomware strains. 🛡️ How to Protect Yourself in the Future
: Ensure Windows or macOS is set to show file extensions so you can see if a file is secretly an executable (like document.pdf.exe ).
Take a picture of the ransom note or note down the specific file extensions. You can use free public services like ID Ransomware to upload the ransom note. This service helps identify the exact strain of ransomware and checks if a free decryptor is available. 3. Scan and Remove the Malware
: Keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy kept completely offline.