Avoiding Ransomeware

WHAT IS RANSOMWARE?

We hear it every day in the news, another major firm or government agency has had its data integrity compromised, with millions of pieces of personal data accessed. Generally, the criminals behind the attack are aiming to get money by selling that data on the online black market. With ransomware, the criminals want to take your money, directly from you and try to get it by holding your data hostage. This is plain, old-fashioned kidnapping with a new, hi-tech spin.

HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM

Prevention is the best way to avoid falling victim to ransomware.

Ensure that your company follows standard “data hygiene” principles.

1. Keep your OS, software, and apps updated whenever a new release or patch is available.
2. Update immediately, as some patches are released solely as a result of the discovery of a security vulnerability.
3. Be familiar with and watch out for phishing scams. If anything looks “off” about an email, don’t open it. Never open links you aren’t totally confident about. If unsure, send an email back to the sender to verify they actually sent you a link

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP

It is critical that your data cannot be held ransom, so it is important that you strictly adhere to a regimen of backups. Routinely backup your data. However, even backups may not be foolproof. If your data has been infected without your knowledge, or the backup is not segregated from your network, your backups can also be corrupted, and therefore useless. Given the severe consequences of a ransomware attack, consider having a security evaluation done by a managed service provider who will have the security expertise to advise on the best backup protocols for your situation, and ways to keep your data safe.

Are you ready for YOUR technology to work for you? Contact the IT specialists at All Mountain Technologies today to make your business more efficient, secure, organized and successful.