Please, if your system and documents are not backed up, go now, today, and pay $100 and get at least a 1Teribyte harddrive and do a backup - not tomorrow, TODAY!
(especially if you have all the documents and lists for other organisations on your computer)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9292204/Criminals-hold-computers-ransom
Usually I run a mile from these sorts of stories but in this case it is for real and quite scary - the only upside is that apparently the sods are honest and do unlock your computer files when you pay up, but then you have the hassle of totally reinstalling everything, according to the Need a Nerd Nerd I spoke to on the phone this morning. This is by far the worst hacking thing that they have known so far.
You would not even know that your computer has been hacked and suddenly it will pop up a message and if you don't pay up within a few days your files are frozen and then the key to unlock them destroyed.
So better to get an external drive and back up regularly, but do not leave it connected all the time (like I have been doing and won't do any more) as it will be infected too. All the better to have two backup disks so you can rotate them and keep one at a separate address. Sounds a bit of a pain but better to spend a few dollars and a few minutes than losing everything or having to pay hundreds of dollars a, to get your files unlocked, and b. to get your computer cleaned and reinstalled.
Keeping files in the cloud eg in Dropbox is probably also a bit safer, but these guys are getting very smart and nasty, so better to be safe than sorry.
That's the end of today's cheery news!
Cheers
Katherine
