So where do I begin...Ransomware, Spyware, Virus, adware...whatever you choose to call it, is ramping up. Now more than ever you must be diligent, suspect everything...trust no one or anything related to your computer and your files. They are now using an encryption software to infect your computer via email with an attachment. Always be wary of email especially with an attachment even from a trusted source. Typically the email will come from a shipping company UPS or FedEx saying you have an undeliverable package and they need you to open the attachment to show you the tracking info so they can deliver it. Be very aware of any attachment in your email and pay special attention to the name of the file...DELIVERY INFORMATION.PDF.EXE is an example of a file with a DOUBLE EXTENSION. The PDF stands for PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT a completely harmless file the is read using Adobe Reader, but the EXE part is an EXECUTABLE extension meaning the file is a program that will run on your computer. More than likely infecting you with some type of virus. They also use .COM which is another type of file that will run a program on your computer(not related to the .COM at the end of web addresses). Please be aware at this time of year shipping is always heavier than usual so that is what makes this virus spread even more rapidly. The virus named Cryptolocker is particularly nasty as it will encrypt all of your files and you will be unable to recover them. Unless you pay the ransom, that can range from $300 to $700, or by making sure you have a reliable backup. Otherwise you WILL lose most if not all of your picture, videos, music and documents. I recommend a service like Carbonite, they offer a backup solution that is seamless, if you are online it is always backing up to the Internet or Cloud if you will. They will backup everything on the computer for $5.00 per month and that is for unlimited storage. Best of all once it is set up there is nothing you need to do it happens in the background always protecting you. Other benefits are the ability to access your files from any computer. I had a client with this service that had their computer stolen, a few days later the backup started again, meaning the computer was accessing the internet from some other location. I was able to retrieve the IP address from Carbonite and we subsequently traced it back to a Comcast address and the police were able to recover the computer. So all-in-all this is a great service for a great price. Feel free to call me if you have any questions about the Encryptolocker virus or Carbonite, I will be glad to assist in everyway possible.