Protecting Your Business from Ransomware
The Covid pandemic has led to an increase in cybersecurity incidents for businesses around the world. Even with this increase in attacks, specifically ransomware attacks, businesses aren’t doing enough to be prepared.
According to GetApp’s 2021 Security Report, ransomware attacks are up 25% over last year. However, the report also found that 33% of businesses have no incident response plan.
Ransomware is a malicious software placed on computers by cyber crooks. This software blocks access to the computer until a ransom is paid. It can infiltrate networks, servers, individual laptops, computers, and mobile devices.
Here are a few key findings from that report:
- Users clicking on links in phishing emails has increased nearly 14% over the previous year.
- About 60% of users report using the same password for multiple accounts.
- Those that reused passwords are 7 times more likely to experience ransomware attacks.
Here are a few tips on how you can protect your business:
- Employee training: Your employees are your first line of defense against ransomware attacks. A consistent, strong employee education program about the warning signs, safe practices and appropriate responses can help save you time, money and information loss.
- Management of user ability: Restricting who can install and run software applications on network devices can help limit exposure.
- Make sure devices are updated: Always ensure the latest version of antivirus and anti-malware programs are set to update automatically when possible. Conduct regular scans of devices to make sure they are up-to-date.
- Always be cautious of email links and attachments: Cyber crooks are getting better at their jobs each day. Emails look so legitimate, it’s hard to differentiate what’s real and what it phishing. If you receive an email you are not expecting with links and/or attachments, send a separate email or call the sender to verify. That extra step could thwart an attack.
If your business falls victim to a ransomware attack, contact your local FBI field office.