During October Police Scotland’s Cyber Harm Prevention Team is raising awareness of Ransomware attacks as part of European Cyber Security Month. Ransomware is malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. It is increasingly used by cyber criminals to exploit money from individuals and businesses. Police Scotland's advice is:

• If threatened to pay a ransom for your information, don't - there's no guarantee you will get access to your data and your device will still be infected
• If you receive a phone call offering help to clean up your computer, hang up immediately
• Keep your apps up to date - don't put off applying updates!
• Make sure your antivirus product is turned on and up to date

For further information about protecting yourself from Ransomware attacks see the cyber security section on Police Scotland's website.