What should I do if I have been hit by ransomware?
Key takeaways
- Check the specific indicators below before assuming the worst — many suspected compromises are something else entirely.
- Preserve evidence before you change anything, because the first change can destroy the proof you need.
- Containment comes before recovery, and recovery comes before cleanup.
- Proof of ownership is required before we work on any account, device or system.
What the signs usually look like
These are the indicators we check for. The presence of one is a prompt to look closer, not a diagnosis.
- A ransom note and renamed or encrypted files
- Mass file extension changes across a share
- Shadow copies or backup jobs failing
- Encryption behaviour appearing on multiple hosts at once
- Security tooling and backup software disabled
What we actually do
Step one is containment, not decryption. We isolate affected hosts, verify that backups are outside the blast radius, assess the encryption and any available recovery route, and give you a ranked recovery plan with realistic time-to-restore figures.
You get a written record of what was checked, what was found, and what was not found. That last part matters as much as the first two: it tells you which risks you can stop worrying about.
What you can do right now
- Write down what you have observed and when it started. Timestamps matter more than impressions.
- Do not delete the app, wipe the device, or change passwords in a panic — each of those can destroy evidence.
- If money is at risk, contact your bank first. Most payment fraud is recoverable within hours and not at all after days.
- Preserve the original: the message, the email, the file, the video. Work from a copy.
- If an account is locked, work back to the root account that everything else recovers through.
What this usually costs
Most of these assessments are a fixed-fee engagement with a stated band agreed before work starts, and a delivery date you can plan around. If the situation is urgent — a ransomware note on screen, a deepfake spreading right now, a payment that has just left — say so when you contact us and we will prioritise it accordingly.
Related services
VAPT & Penetration Testing
Authorised vulnerability assessment and penetration testing for web, mobile, API and network.
Incident Response & Retainer
24/7 help when something is already happening — and a retainer to stop it happening.
Ransomware Recovery & File Unlock
When files are encrypted, the priority is containment first and recovery second.
Website Malware Removal
Blacklisted, defaced, injecting spam, or sending phishing mail from your server.
Deepfake & AI Abuse Protection
Detection, takedown and monitoring for AI face swaps, voice clones and impersonation accounts.
Digital Forensics & Evidence
For the case where it is not a system you own — it is a question you have to answer.
Account Recovery & Data Recovery
Lost or locked accounts, and lost files — recovered with proof of ownership.
Social Media Account Security
Platform-level account security, impersonation removal and audit.
Email Security & Business Email Compromise
The most profitable hack in India right now, and it has nothing to do with malware.
Wi-Fi & Network Monitoring Setup
Home, hotel, café and office wireless — the ones people forget are a perimeter.
Brand Impersonation & Phishing Site Removal
Fake sites that copy your brand and take your customers' money.
Website Security Hardening
The practical, unglamorous work of making a site hard to break into.
Parental Controls & Child Safety
Device monitoring, account safety and evidence, set up lawfully.
Insider Threat & Access Review
When the risk is sitting inside your organisation, wearing a badge.
Third-Party & Vendor Security Risk
Your biggest attack surface is the supplier you have never audited.
People Search & Exposure Check
See what the internet already knows about you or your staff, and cut it down.
Get this checked
Send a short description of what you are seeing and what is at risk. We will tell you whether this is something we can help with and what it would take.
Request a quote See pricingLast reviewed: 24 October 2026. Information on this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Prices are indicative bands for a typical scope and are confirmed in a written quote before any work begins.