Perhaps the most dangerous and notorious modern malware, ransomware affects businesses and industries without any regard to size or scope. It can even impact individual users and get away with it. We urge businesses to consider the other dangers associated with ransomware beyond just paying the ransom, as they extend far beyond and could have lasting impacts on your operations.
As one of the most popular attacks as of late, ransomware is an easy threat to spread through the usual methods: phishing attacks, downloading infected files, clicking on suspicious links, and the whole nine yards. Phishing attacks in particular are growing more sophisticated, utilizing social media accounts, fake tech support emails, and even phone calls, meaning individuals and businesses alike need to be as careful as ever.
There are no circumstances where having a data backup will be a bad thing, and in the case of a ransomware attack, they are absolutely imperative to have as a last-ditch effort to get rid of the infection. In some cases, however, you can bypass the encryption by restoring the backup, but are still stuck due to threats that your data will be leaked or sold online if you don’t pay the ransom. Restoring can help you get back to business, but it is a far cry from solving all of your problems. In fact, they might just be beginning.
It is known that you can pay the ransom with the hackers’ promise to return your data afterward, but the fact remains that there is no guarantee that they will follow through on their end of the bargain. What happens if the decryption key doesn’t work? Then you’re out your data and the ransom. Additionally, you’re paying for the downtime caused by the incident, as well as any fines associated with your data being leaked online and/or compromised by the hackers. Indeed, ransomware costs begin with the ransom itself and are difficult to measure.
One thing is certain, though: you don’t want to know the upper limit of these costs. You can limit your exposure to these threats with some preventative measures, though.
Ransomware is a serious threat to any business, but with the right precautions—namely appropriate security measures, data backup and disaster recovery, and security training for your team—you’ll have all you need to lessen the likelihood you’ll fall victim to these threats. To learn more about equipping your business with these tools, contact First Column IT at (571) 470-5594.
