OREANDA-NEWS. June 28, 2016. Cory Kennedy, lead information security engineer at CenturyLink, recently shared his thoughts on cybersecurity with Newsweek reporter Seung Lee in an article titled: “If You're Not Afraid of Ransomware (or Other Cyberattacks), You Are Crazy.”

In case you missed it, the following is a recap of what he said about the cybersecurity landscape, hackers and ransomware:

Watch out for common URL mistakes

Attackers will use tools that will identify common typos for popular domains and then purchase them as a delivery mechanism for malware. For example, using the Newsweek.com domain, similar domains include Neewsweek.com, Newsweeek.com and Newsweel.com. These URLs are not necessarily malicious, but rather examples of domains that are similar that can be used in phishing attacks to deliver malware.

Leverage alerts

Mac users can leverage “Little Snitch” to notify users of unauthorized connections. This will alert you if your Mac is infected with malicious software and is trying to communicate with attacker command-and-control servers.

Leverage search engines

Set up automated and recurring internet searches to notify you if your name shows up somewhere you don’t expect. You can also set up alerts and monitor potential suspicious activity for non-tech-savvy friends and family members.

Ensure you have a backup solution

His personal opinion regarding ransomware: Do not pay the ransom. Ensure you have a backup solution in place and make sure the backups are not stored on the same computer system you are backing up.