Month: March 2016

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, it was reported that victims of Ransomware paid out roughly $24 million in 2015.  And, unfortunately for the public, the FBI predicts this number will continue to grow in 2016.

In fact, we’ve already seen some rather anxiety-inducing Ransomware attacks this year – like the one in Los Angeles last February.  In this particular incident, hackers hit a Hollywood hospital with Ransomware and demanded $3 million from the hospital.  Eventually, that figure was reduced to $17,000 – which the president of the hospital quickly agreed to pay.

So what is Ransomware?  Well, the simplest explanation would be that it’s a form of malware that has the ability to lock your entire computer or individual files.  Once this malware locks your data or device, the hackers will demand payment.

This demand can come in multiple forms.  It can be a simple message that states clearly what is occurring – your computer has been infected with Ransomware and you must pay to retrieve your data.  It can also be an elaborate story created by the hackers – you’re being investigated by the FBI (or another threatening government agency) because you illegally downloaded files on your computer (or something of that nature) and if you pay the fine, you will not face jail time (funeral arrangements and pending court hearings have also been reported).

Whatever the case is, these hackers will usually request a semi-reasonable fine to unlock your business.  The bigger your business, the bigger your fine.  However, it’s incredibly important to note that businesses aren’t the only targets.  Recently, individuals have come into contact with Ransomware on their phones.  In these incidents, the victims are asked to pay a fine between $10 and $100 to unlock their phone.

Hackers have found Ransomware to be unusually effective and profitable because of these “reasonable” fines.  But that doesn’t mean they won’t ask for a large fine, as we saw in the Hollywood hospital scenario.

So you might be wondering how someone becomes infected with malware, and to be quite honest, it isn’t much different than any other form of malware.  If you open a malicious attachment or click on a misleading link or advertisement, you can easily be shut down by Ransomware.

If this does happen to you, it’s extremely important that you have all your data backed up to avoid paying the fine (don’t make it easy for the hackers even if it easy to pay $10).  As a business, you should try to have your data backed up offsite, and as an individual, you can rely on a solution like DropBox or Google Drive.  Whatever it is you decide to do, just make sure you aren’t left to contemplate the price of your data.

It can be frustrating observing people who are just ridiculously confident.  They can do or say anything and not worry about the potential for mistakes or social blunders.

And when they do make an error, nobody cares and barely anyone even notices.  These inherently evil, confident people are self-assured even in the midst of something horribly embarrassing like tripping down a flight of stairs or ripping their pants in the middle of a presentation.  It’s wholly unnatural but completely natural for these people nonetheless.

So how do we less fortunate individuals rise to a level of confidence that is somewhat near these disgustingly confident people?  Well, here are a few tips for you.

Be in front of people more.

You’re never going to be confident in front of others if you’re never in front of others.  It’s just common sense.  So if you want to be more confident, you need more opportunities for you to feel, be, and act like a confident person feels, is, and acts.  Get out of the house and out of your cubicle and into large groups and big gatherings.

Adopt the right mindset.

Part of being confident means that you accept the fact that you will fall flat on your face, and when this happens, you’ll be perfectly alright.  You’ll get up, laugh it off, and walk away like nothing ever happened.  Feeling this way about mistakes is wholly reliant on the fact that you have the right mindset—that you know everyone does it and no one really cares about it at the end of the day.

Befriend confident people.

How do you expect to become a more confident person if you’re always hanging around people who are the furthest from confident?  If your friends and your family members doubt their abilities and second guess who they are on a consistent basis, then you will more than likely fall into that same pattern.  Befriend people who are confident, and their confidence will rub off on you.  You’ll learn firsthand how to be a more assertive, self-reliant individual.