We wish we didn’t have to spend so much time posting content about ransomware. And yet, in our business, these sorts of articles are unavoidable. That’s because every time, the topic never seems to fade away for more than a couple of months. At the time of this writing there have been several high-profile companies and government agencies affected by cyber attacks. Even if this post stays online for a few years, there is a good chance that this sort of crime will still be prevalent as you are reading it, as well.
But, rather than sharing the latest news or getting you worried about things you might not completely understand, we want to focus today’s post on solutions. In particular, we want to look at four simple ways you can avoid ransomware problems in your company. Let’s start with the obvious…
#1 Train Your Staff to Be More Careful
Ransomware is built upon complex software encryption, but it often spreads through simple phishing scams and email file attachments. That means it’s much easier to prevent than it is to remove. By training your staff to avoid certain types of risky behaviors with the devices they connect to your network, you can often head off ransomware attacks before they have an impact. Also, having good data security policies in place is a good practice regardless.
#2 Create Daily Backups of Your Most Important Files
The most effective way to deal with a ransomware attack is to simply roll back your systems to a moment before your computers were infected. However, that requires you to have recent backups and a good monitoring plan in place. Again, there are lots of reasons to have a good backup and disaster recovery plan set up for your technology. The threat of ransomware just makes this kind of preparation all the more urgent.
#3 Talk to Your Insurance Provider
As ransomware attacks have become more frequent, the applicability of insurance coverage has become more and more of a gray area. Some policies cover ransomware-related losses, while others don’t. Many are ambiguous. The time to figure out whether you have – or even need – a different kind of insurance policy is before trouble strikes. It’s a good idea to talk with your IT team about preparation, of course, but also your business insurance agent.
#4 Put a Ransomware Plan in Place for Your Business
Hopefully you’ll never be affected by ransomware, especially if you follow the first two steps we’ve outlined. It’s always smarter to be prepared for the worst, though, so you should have a plan that lays out what you’ll do if and when hackers get into your files. Of course, a skillful and experienced IT team (like ours) can help you set up a strategy that minimizes the effects of a ransomware attack.
Are You Ready for the Unknown?
No one likes thinking about having their company affected by criminal activity. But, that doesn’t mean you can ignore obvious threats to your bottom line. In the same way that you need insurance against floods, fires, and street crime, your business should be protected against ransomware and other forms of hacking.
If you want to implement any or all of the prevention strategies we have outlined in this post, then contact the Fantastic IT team of specialists today. We will be happy to schedule a free consultation and put our expertise to work for you!