These Researchers Want to Save You From Ransomware (for Free)

If your PC is ever locked by ransomware, paying up won't necessarily release your files; in fact, we recommend that you never hand over cash to these scammers.

What to do? There's a minor chance you can save your files without surrendering your wallet or trashing your PC entirely. A group of security researchers routinely examines the latest ransomware strains for flaws in their computer code, and develops free tools that can (sometimes) reverse the infection.

Michael Gillespie is among those researchers. He's a programmer by day, but in his free time he works as a ransomware hunter for the New Zealand-based antivirus firm Emsisoft, a leading provider of ransomware decryptors. Desperate victims frequently reach out to him for help. "I can get anywhere from 50 to 200 people contacting me per day. It's crazy," he said in an interview.  Check out the full article here.