An early nineteenth-century Prussian General stated, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” President Eisenhower said, “…plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

Ransomware, the type of attack where the bad guys take your data and render it useless, is recent. The methods to prevent it or lessen its impact are not. It’s your IT Professionals’ age-old, sage advice: “Patch it, back it up, and above all, don’t click on that link!”

If you do fall victim to a ransomware attack, shut down your computer immediately and contact your IT Administrator. According to the UTK Incident Response Plan, you must also report the incident to OIT by calling the HelpDesk at 865-974-9900. Do not enter into a discussion with the criminals, and try to talk them into giving your files back. OIT will report the incident to the local and federal authorities. If this happens to your personal computer or personal files, contact the local FBI Field Office.