Ransomware Slides

1. HOW TO SPOT A RANSOMWARE EMAIL

2. Ransomware is a form of
malware that takes over your
computer, denying access to
your data, and demanding a
ransom payment in exchange
for its recovery.
The most common delivery
methods for this attack are
hyperlinks and attachments,
usually found in phishing
emails.

3. 1. Check Email Addresses
The display name might look authentic, but
email addresses are much harder to falsify.
With many companies purchasing their own
domain names, attackers often have to alter
the spelling slightly – in our example you can
see that the domain has changed the initials
‘gmp’ to ‘gnp’.

4. 2. Suspicious Attachments
If an email from a supposed service
provider includes an attachment be
wary – this is not common practice,
with most companies offering
important information in the message
itself or on a web page.

5. 3. Inspect Before Clicking
If an email from an unknown
source includes a hyperlink, it is
best to avoid clicking it all
together. However if you think
the message may be legitimate,
just hover over the link before
clicking it to reveal the URL it
directs to.
In our example you can see that
the URL is not for GMP as it
claims and should not be trusted.

6. 4. Scare-tactics
Ransowmare often hides within
phishing emails, which use
urgent language to rush the
target into clicking the hyperlink
or downloading the attachment
without taking the time to
properly inspect the message.
Our example uses a fake
speeding notice from the police,
which the target would likely
know they didn’t do and would
want to examine the supposed
proof.

7. For more topics and training material visit the Boxphish website.