Will your backups protect you against ransomware? | CSO Online. Hackers who encrypt your files, and demand ransom to get the decryption key, are on the rise. In effect, the hackers are kidnapping your data and programs. Malwarebytes, and other software solutions, are the first line of defense. An educated user base that doesn’t engage in risky computer behavior is the second. But, the best defense against ransomware is a recent clean image of the drive which can restore the computer with minimal loss of data. This is more complicated than it seems, as some organizations have discovered, too late, that their backup plan isn’t working. The best thing you can do is to have a good backup plan, and stick to it. Then, test it. Be careful out there.