Ransomware is a computer virus that encrypts all of the data stored on computers. The only way to unlock these files is to pay a “ransom” to hackers, usually involving cryptocurrency. Here are some facts from Datto:
- The average ransom demand is $5,900; but the average cost of downtime is $141,000
- One in Five small businesses report they have fallen victim to a ransomware attack
- Of businesses hit with ransomware, 20% have to stop operations completely
- Ransomware attacks increased 41% from 2018 to 2019
Is your business prepared to survive a ransomware attack? Here are a few steps your organization should be following:
- Have a backup: An off-site cloud backup is critical to ensure that you have a safe copy of data, in case data is encrypted
- Train your users: most ransomware comes from social engineering. Train your users to be careful about clicking links online or in emails
- Have User Restrictions: Make sure users in your business are set up as local users, and remove admin rights.
- Have a good anti-virus: Most anti-viruses won’t stop new strands of ransomware, but a good program will detect and stop known strands
- Consider Cyber-Insurance: Contact your insurance provider to discuss purchasing cyber-insurance for your business
Give us a call today to inquire about Managed IT Services, in which we use proactive management to help mitigate these types of attacks.
