IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Since our previous message concerning CryptoWall ransomware, we have learned of some CryptoWall infections in the UMass system, and PC World reports over 600,000 PCs held hostage worldwide. This malware is out there and the threat is very serious. If your PC becomes infected, you could lose all data stored on your computer and all files on any hard drives or network file servers you connect to.

As far as we know, the main causes of infection are out of date software, including web browsers and plugins. Please make sure you check your system and make sure you are protected:

Make sure your browser, plugins, and other programs are up to date. Our Safe Computing / Scan My PC page has a scanning tool to make sure you are up to date along with more safe computing tips.

Most important, make sure your data is backed up. If your PC is infected, you could lose everything and will need to restore everything from backups. Don’t keep your backup drive connected to your computer, or the malware could attach your backups, too!