Taking These Swift Steps Will Reduce Your Ransomware Risk

Taking These Swift Steps Will Reduce Your Ransomware Risk

Protecting your company against ransomware attacks requires aggressive countermeasures and ongoing awareness training for your staff members.

Logging in to your computer in the morning only to discover that you are no longer able to access your business applications, servers, or even your family photos can leave you with a sinking feeling — and the knowledge that you’ve been the victim of a cyberattack. Ransomware is growing dramatically in the US, with recent reports attributing costs of nearly $150,000 per incident to ransomware attacks. In aggregate, ransomware had an $11.4 billion impact on businesses, draining productivity and lining the pockets of cybercriminals from around the world. How can you protect your organization against this growing risk?

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware or malicious software, that is designed to block access to your business data and applications unless a sum of money is paid to reduce the restrictions on your access. This type of rampant malware will encrypt your files, folders, databases and other information on your computer system or network until you pay the ransom. While a decryption code will be sent to you by the hackers once the ransom has been paid in theory, the practical outcome with ransomware may be quite different. Hackers don’t make it particularly easy for you to pay the ransom, either. Payment is often required in untraceable cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. Purchasing this cyber currency and then providing it to the criminals can be a challenge, too.

Steps to Protect Your Organization from Ransomware

Cybersecurity strategies are continually evolving to keep up with threats in the marketplace, but here are a few simple solutions that you can begin implementing to help reduce the overall cybersecurity risk for your organization. With companies spending up to ,600 per minute with IT downtime due to data breaches and other cybersecurity attacks, each strategy that you employ to protect your company is a step in the right direction.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Daily backups for your business are no longer enough to keep everything moving swiftly in the event of an emergency or ransomware event. Instead, you need a robust business continuity and disaster recovery strategy that includes everything from the communications workflow to how to restore critical business systems and data in case of a natural disaster or cyberattack. Backups should be done both onsite and in the cloud.

Invest in Robust Cybersecurity Solutions

Sometimes, the only thing standing between your business and a dangerous cybercriminal is your antivirus, anti-malware and DNS filtering software. With these solutions — plus a business-grade, next-generation firewall — in place, you gain a greater level of confidence that potential risks are filtered out before they reach your organization and staff members.

Stay Conscious of Clicks and Opens

Train your staff to be wary of any type of attachment that wasn’t expected, even if the sender appears to be legitimate. Viruses and malware are often triggered by the download of a file that seems to be a legitimate Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF document that contains a dangerous injection of software directly into your business systems.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Cybersecurity training shouldn’t be a “one and done” situation for your staff members, but an ongoing part of their continuing education profile. Cyber threats are shifting over a period of months, with hackers continually looking for new ways to infiltrate your organization’s defenses. Maintaining an awareness of these threats with your employees will help reduce the possibility of an attack that could cost your company tens of thousands of dollars in lost productivity.

Ensure You Are Working with True Cybersecurity Experts

There are companies across the country claiming to be “cybersecurity experts” but lacking the experience to back up their claim. Do not be afraid to ask questions and research your IT managed services provider before you trust them with your ransomware protection! Your company deserves to work with professionals with a firm understanding of the current cybersecurity landscape and the connections to hardware and software vendors that will help reduce your overall risk.

Ready to get started boosting your protection quotient? While reviewing your current security measures may take some time, each step that you choose provides the promise of a more secure future for your business that doesn’t include significant interruptions or costs associated with a ransomware attack. Contact the experts at Intelice Solutions at {phone} to schedule your complimentary initial consultation and learn more about the proactive cybersecurity solutions that we recommend and implement for our clients. We work throughout the Washington DC metro area to provide comprehensive and reliable IT support and consulting services for companies of all sizes.