At NYSLTA, we use Kaspersky products for digital security. There are other fine and reliable solutions.

The following is from a Kaspersky marketing email but it provides a simple introduction to ransomware.

The recipe is simple BACKUP YOUR FILES + SECURITY INSTALLED ON ALL YOUR DEVICES. Since many breeches are "social hacking", I and Regina use personal identity theft protection and restoration insurance.

https://usblog.kaspersky.com/ransomware-study-2016/7186/

How educated are we on ransomware?
May 24, 2016 Jeffrey Esposito

Unlike previous malware trends that have varying purposes, ransomware’s is quite simple: Get Money. With a goal like that spurring on malicious developers, it’s no wonder ransomware’s star is on the rise.

If you’re not entirely sure what ransomware is, you’re not alone — and that’s unfortunate. With ransomware a growing concern, and high-profile attacks on critical organizations including hospitals, schools, and police departments, Kaspersky Lab recently commissioned research firm Opinion Matters to survey more than 5,000 consumers in the United States and Canada to gauge the overall awareness of and concern about ransomware.

The results indicate that consumers are unconcerned about ransomware — perhaps because they are unaware of ransomware’s reach and effects.

Why ransomware matters
Briefly, ransomware is a type of malware. Its twist is using encryption to hold victims’ files — or access to their computers or mobile devices — hostage and demanding money in exchange for their safe return.

Ransomware isn’t new, but ransomware infections have been growing at an alarming rate recently. For example, in the first quarter of 2016, Kaspersky Lab’s software blocked crypto-ransomware attacks on 34,900 devices and detected more than 2,800 mobile ransomware Trojans.


Last year, Kaspersky Lab predicted that 2016 will see ransomware spread to new frontiers such as the Internet-of-Things — Internet-connected devices and appliances over which users have little technological control. Ransomware’s direct monetization model is very appealing to cybercriminals, and its consumer model is savvy in demanding relatively little money from each victim.

Our survey says…
Of the surveyed consumers, 43% did not know what ransomware was, and 9% believed it had something to do with social media accounts being held for ransom.

More troubling, consumers don’t know what to do in the event of an attack. A quarter of respondents believed that disconnecting the affected computer from the Internet could stop the attack. And a still-significant percentage — 15% of Americans and 17% of Canadians — would resort to unplugging the computer or turning off the mobile device, thinking that might work (spoiler alert: it does not work).

More concerning,15% of Americans and 17% of Canadians think unplugging the computer or turning off the mobile device could completely stop ransomware
Most users (53%), considering the risk of losing their photos and videos, say they would not be willing to pay ransom. Those willing to pay said they would pay only a small amount of money to recover their personal digital files.

Of the respondents, 26% of Americans and 24% of Canadians said they would be willing to give up social media permanently to guarantee the future protection of their personal digital files.

Most Internet security software, like Kaspersky Internet Security, will protect users against many forms of ransomware. However, 11% of U.S. respondents and 12% of Canadian respondents noted they don’t have a security product installed on any of their personal digital devices.

Education needed
As ransomware attacks increase, consumers need not just to be aware of the problem — they also need to know how to avoid ransomware attacks and what to do if they’re hit by one.

In response to a ransomware attack, 46% of respondents wouldn’t know what steps to take should they become infected. The findings also indicated that the percentage of respondents who would not know what steps to take grew with increasing age, from 37% of those aged 16-34 to 54% of those aged 55+.

To pay, or not to pay
Nearly one-quarter (24%) said that paying the ransom could halt the cybercriminals, and more than half (53%) of respondents would not be willing to pay.

Those who would pay would be willing to part with, on average, only a small amount to recover their personal digital files — less than the average consumer pays monthly for lunch.

At Kaspersky Lab, we do not advise payment to criminals in response to ransomware. Instead we suggest backing up files regularly and securing devices with strong security solutions.

Looking ahead
A lack of comprehension around ransomware shows how vulnerable consumers are to this rapidly developing form of cybercrime. As long as people are willing to click on attachments in emails or visit suspicious websites to see the latest viral video, cybercriminals will continue to prey on them using ransomware.

One promising survey finding is that those surveyed are using Internet security on their devices. More than three-fourths (77%) of respondents who have a computer (PC or Mac) have Internet security installed on it, 47% have it on their smartphone, and 31% have it on their tablet.

In addition, consumers are regularly backing up their files. Almost all (84%) of survey participants said they back up their digital files.

Although many people have the right idea about not paying the attacker, and many back up their digital files, being informed is one of the best defenses against ransomware.

The Honorable Maureen O'Connell, Nassau County Clerk has informed us:

"... the Clerk's online database via US Land Records now gives access to uncertified images of all land documents in our database, free of charge.  This should alleviate stress and overcrowding in our search area

... Not only can a computer in an office or home now search for everything in the County Clerk land database, but the cost for doing so would be identical as doing the search in the Clerk’s office....

Also, ...  please include a reminder about the Assessment TMV letter not necessarily having an SBL that is consistent with the official County Clerk SBL.  This inconsistency is leading to submitters changing the SBL on instruments to match the Assessment letter (not the County Clerks) and creates rejections before the submission even reaches our internal system."

A delegation of the NYSLTA Title Insurance Section met with Nassau County Clerk O'Connell and her senior deputies on Monday October 26 at the County Office Building in Mineola, NY. A group of Xerox team members joined via phone conference.

The conversation was informative and businesslike.

As of this date, the Xerox team is projecting completion of implementation and internet access to the system by mid-November.  Anyone who is familiar with complex systems such as this must acknowledge the potential for unforeseen delays.  It is only reasonable to allow some flexibility to this target date.

The ACS system is currently in use in other NY counties and these can be found via uslandrecords.com and nylandrecords.com. 

When the new system is fully launched, the Clerk intends to offer informational presentations and training sessions for her staff as well as public users of the system.  The title industry must anticipate slightly longer task completion times while people become accustomed to the new system and different ways of searching and examining land records.

The cost for accessing the system and using different features have not yet been announced.

Clerk O'Connell has committed to ongoing meetings with the NYSLTA Land Records Committee on a quarterly basis.

The problems continue with the County Clerk's computer system in Nassau County.

The uncertainty and disruption during this change-over has not always brought out the best in any of us.

I have no doubt that this situation was not what County Clerk O'Connell or her staff ever wanted.

There will be days when progress is two steps forward and one step back - get used to it. That is the 21st Century world of software enabled commerce.

We will continue to monitor and report on this situation as it resolves and we look forward to improved channels of communication with Clerk O'Connell on a regular basis.

Members are encouraged to comment and non-members may email comment to me for review and posting.

Here is what you will not find in Nassau County this morning:

• Lis pendens are not indexed in the new system
• All three major eRecording companies are no longer accepting documents for Nassau County
• You won't find a County Clerk (or her staff)

I called the Clerk a few minutes ago. Understandably she and her entire staff are in a meeting. One hopes they are working to address these issues.

Members have called to say additional computers have been connect to the old system and there are computers running both systems to enable checking the completeness of the recorded data.

The eRecordng companies say they will resume eRecording in Nassau AFTER they have completed their independent testing of the system integrity.

It would be wrong to say Clerk O'Connell and her staff are doing nothing.  I cannot believe they are happy about this and I am certain they want things fixed and running smoothly.

In my message, I requested additional staff be put on to accept walk-in recordings and I urged them to communicate the status on a regular basis.  That would help diminish the fear and concern borne of uncertainty.

To Members - please note the Title Section is meeting to consider remedies.  I will report on the progress of that initiative as best as I am able.

Members can add comments. Non-members can email comments for posting to rgt@nyslta.org AND rcapone@nyslta.org.