Harnessing the best ransomware protection tools at your disposal can be the difference between disaster or a near miss for your organization.
When it comes to ransomware, the key question for many is whether or not to succumb to a hacker’s demands. For larger organizations, it can be tempting to agree to financial demands to regain access to critical files.
However, there are no guarantees that this will work, and many threat actors are just as likely to take the money and run.
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Regardless of whether you feel you can trust the hacker, most cyber security experts will tell you that handing over cash is the worst thing you can do, mainly because it further fuels the cyber crime economy.
For smaller businesses, the reality is that agreeing to ransom demands is simply not a viable option. So instead of paying out hefty sums to get data or files back, a recommended approach is to invest in ransomware protection and removal toolkits.
There are a number of options available, but we’ve compiled a list of the best five ransomware removal toolkits that range from free to less than $100 a year.
Best ransomware protection and removal tools
AVG ransomware decryption
Price: Free
Available here
Unfortunately, AVG's ransomware removal tools aren't available in one neat package, but they're available from the company's website as free downloads in the form of different files to combat multiple ransomware strains.
The tools created by the company rid your computer of some of the most widely known ransomware strains in the wild right now.
The common symptoms of each attack have been listed nicely by AVG with a download link so you can remove the malicious program from your computer. This enables you to correctly identify the ransomware and only use the removal tool specific to the threat.
It may not be the most advanced tool on this list, but it is an extremely effortless way to rid yourself of any problematic software without installing the bigger packages on your machine.
HitmanPro.Alert
Price: Free 30 day trial, $34.95 per year thereafter
Available here
HitmanPro.Alert turns your computer into a highly undesirable victim by blocking the core techniques and exploits malware uses to hide from antivirus software. It also detects crypto-ransomware, simply by observing the behaviours that these threats exhibit. It even makes sandbox-aware malware terminate itself by camouflaging your PC as a virus researcher.
Malwarebytes Premium
Price: Free trial, $8.15 per month
Available here
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Malwarebytes Premium, which is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks, promises to protect your machine against advanced ransomware.
The tool's built-in "Ransomware Protection" uses proprietary tech to create a powerful defence against malware that locks down your PC and takes your files and photos hostage, with Malwarebytes claiming its software can detect malware before it begins to wreak havoc on your machine.
This is thanks to the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, which the company claims can detect emerging threats that no one has ever seen before.
ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware
Price: $31 per year
Available here.
ZoneAlarm’s Anti-Ransomware suite is one of the best pieces of kit that a small business user can harness when working on a tight budget.
This security suite analyzes suspicious activity on user devices, and can detect ransomware attacks, block them, and restore encrypted files with relative ease.
Being part of Check Point, ZoneAlarm draws on years of expert experience in the security industry to provide enterprise-grade protection on a budget and can be used alongside other antivirus solutions.
Working out at just over $31 dollars per year, this is a highly recommended security suite.
Avast Premium Security suite
Price: $67 per year
Available here.
Avast Premium Security suite is a handy toolkit for any organization to have if they’re working on a tight budget.
The security suite works out at roughly $67 per year, so within the context of this article is on the pricey side. However, it can be used on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, making it a flexible toolkit.
Features of this particular offering include a ransomware protection system complete with advanced firewall protections.
While the features included in Avast Premium Security are rather limited, this is definitely a powerful tool for businesses that don’t have the cash to spend on a more sophisticated system.
If you want more features, there’s always the option to upgrade to Avast One security, which offers a broader range of tools for an equally reasonable fee - albeit on a limited number of devices.
