UKH

What is the best practice way to prepare for my computer becoming encrypted because I have no intention of paying any ransom?

Regular backups onto a medium that any ransomware installed on your computer can't access.

Like Luke90 said, backups. You should be aware that ransomware is probably one of the least likely things that can happen to your data, your hard disks and SSDs can die without any real warning, your data can be corrupted, and so on. You must always back up any data that you deem to be important.

Backups on physically separable drive (USB). 1:1 replicates are best, as you will have a functional startup disk at the ready. Just dump the compromised drive (or format it, but this is not as straightforward, depending on where the malware hides), and plug in the backup.

CB

Print everything out. 

Even my porn?

Is Windows File History a good tool, for backups to defend against ransomware?

Obtain a credit card under a false identity or someone else's identity.

If the worst happens, just pay up.

You may need to move house.

Why are you worried anyway? Have you been visiting a lot of the more esoteric and hard to find porn sites?

ESPECIALLY YOUR PORN!!!

ESPECIALLY your porn!

Great minds think alike...

Hahaha!

Hopeful bump  for advice on Windows Fie History.

Regularly image your computer's OS/Program HDD/SSD. I use Macrium Reflect; it's free. It images to my NAS.

Regularly back up your Data disk to a removable USB HDD. I use FreeFileSync to back up my NAS, which holds my OS images, and my data (I don't keep data on the PC).

I can restart from a catastrophic failure by using a Linux live CD to wipe the PC's HDD, then use a Macrium Rescue DVD to recover the PC's OS disk from my backup USB drive.

I can re-build the NAS from the ground up, either with a hard formatted disk (Linux live CD again), or with a new disk, and then restore the NAS files from the backup disk with FFS.

This all assumes the ransomware wasn't a sleeper, and therefore present on the backup, only to re-activate itself when restored. The answer to that would be to run a Linux live CD and run a search and destroy on the ransomware.

Ink-cartridges-r-us have just received a Brexit proofing order and are going big with the Xmas party.

Every now and then I image my OS, and I've 5 differing versions by using Acronis 2016. However I'm thinking about upgrading because the current version has some blurb about Ransomeware prevention.

I keep copies of all my stuff on my PC and NAS box. I was under the impression that if the data isn't in two places at the same time then its not backed up. So far I'm using Window's File History to back up versions of my data/stuff to my NAS box which goes back six months, just in case I delete a file or two that I regret but don't realise for a couple of months.

I then use Free File Sync to back up my NAS box to two USB hard drives. These are not duplicates, I just don't want to store everything on one USB drive. Just in case the USB drive dies.

As far as I can tell, my Acronis backup software uses a Rescue Disk which is basically a Linux(Possibly) Live CD where I can restore my OS copy to my C-Drive. I'm guessing that it completely wipes the drive in this process, killing what ever nasties may be hiding on it. I don't know if this is true and would appreciate advice from anybody who knows about this sort of thing.

I have a Synology NAS which has a Hyper Vault which can backup everything from the NAS box to an external hard drive but I don't use this option. I tried to use it but the process was exceptionally slow. I gave up after 72 hours straight and still nowhere close to finishing the project. I rely on Free File Sync to copy the data to external hard drives.

May I ask what distro and software I could use to disinfect a window's OS?

I find this whole process complicated, or am I overcomplicating matters and there is a simple solution that I am missing to ensure that should I get Randsomeware, I can recover my stuff?

I don't care about the OS because that will be nuked from the outset.

I've just upgraded my Acronis to the latest version 2020, with Ransomware protection baked in.

And just after I paid, I discovered that Acronis provide the Ransomware protection for a free download.

Doh!

https://www.acronis.com/en-us/personal/free-data-protection/

Window's also protects against Ransomware

https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-use-windows-defenders-ransomware-prev...

Windows file history and other shadow copy based strategies are a poor solution for this issue. Many strains of ransomware actively prioritise deleting shadow copies along with anything else it can identify as a backup set before they start encrypting common file types .doc . xls .jpg etc. 
 

air gap your backup sets

use multiple strategies cloud / physical media

check it actually is working !

Backup, if the restore fails pay the ransom with prepaid credit cards.

Depends on the files but in most home use cases simply deploy a decent internet security package and regularly back up your files depending on importance. For your treasured family photos, make a local cooy onto removable media and a second cloud copy. Dont forget .pst files from email too if you use Outlook so you can quickly restore these if needed or use a cloud service such as Gmail.

Hey.

Doesn't really matter what the risk is you're trying to mitigate, generally speaking the industry strategy is that you need to back up and then keep 1x copy on site and 1x copy off site.  The offsite copy guards against physical threats like fire/flood.

Assuming you have fair load you want to secure - pics/video etc ... the problem that arises quickly is cost.  Free solutions like google drive/Dropbox etc are brilliant when you don't have too much stuff ... but quickly start to get expensive if you have to pay for one of their paid for plans.

At home I deal with this with a USB hard disk and family member.  You can buy a brand name 1TB disk on amazon for ~£40.  You need one for yourself and a family members needs one.  You backup regularly to your disk, family member backs up regularly to their disk then every 6 months when you visit one another you bring along the drive and take a copy of their latest backup and when they visit you they take a copy of your latest backup.  This strategy means there are 3x copy in existence at all times:  1) your machine, 2) your USB hard drive local and 3) their USB hard drive remote.  

Agree in advance, if your house burns down and you loose both local copies - it means you could loose the last 6 months.  

It was a photographer that gave me this strategy.  I'm not knocking the NAS strategy btw ... 

Cheers

The free version of Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage gives you one free go at recovering from a ransomware attack. You probably wouldn't want to rely on it exclusively but might be a useful additional line of defence. 

Don't forget to test your backups - it's easy to copy corruption without realising it until you try to re-load it all.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of laminating...