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Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: With the recent rise of ransomware, the FBI sees everyday technology users lose precious data—everything from financial information to family photos.

Cyber criminals use ransomware to encrypt Internet-connected devices, such as home computers and external hard drives.

FBI Assistant Section Chief Brett Leatherman…

Brett Leatherman: Families are extorted to pay money to get their memories back, and even if they pay, they may not get that information back.

Halpern: Leatherman says using out-of-band backups can help prevent data loss from cyber criminals and natural disasters.

One out-of-band solution is physically keeping the backup in a safe location outside of your home. The other is using a reputable cloud-based backup service. Both options have advantages and disadvantages.

Leatherman: A home user really has to determine, 'What level of risk am I more comfortable with—physically keeping it out of the house or utilizing a cloud service provider?'

Halpern: For more cyber tips, visit www.fbi.gov. With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.

Related information:

-Story: National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2015
-Blog: Defense in Depth for the Everyday User