We are receiving early reports of a new ransomware threat, similar to the “wannacry” outbreak which hit the NHS earlier this year.

This one is known as “Bad Rabbit” and follows the usual ransomware script of locking PCs, encrypting data, and demanding a payment within a short timeframe in order to release the un-encryption password. The initial cost is 0.05 Bitcoin (currently £220.00) although this appears to increase over time. It isn’t recommended to pay the ransom as there is a very good chance that the password will not be forthcoming.

The software seems to be spreading from infected Russian news media sites, and so far has only attacked large networks, but may well spread over time.

As usual, our advice is to have a definite backup in place, keep it seperate from you system when it isn’t in use, and install all updates and patches as they are released. If you do end up infected with ransomware or any other type of malware, turn your computer off at once and bring it to us. We can’t guarantee that we will save your data, but we can minimise the damage at the very least.

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