Ransomware is a type of virus or malware that prevents users from accessing their own data or systems until they pay a sum of money. Can you believe ransomware costs businesses about $75 billion per year!
A threat survey by Phishme reveals that ransomware attacks have increased over 97% in the last two years!
It’s high time to protect your business against ransomware and engage managed backup solutions. But before that, you need to know how it works. This will help you to stay aware and help you better protect your data.
Let’s dive in.
How Ransomware Works
Ransomware attacks can occur in a number of different ways. One of the most common types is phishing spam. This is when an email comes through with an attachment. The attachment is then downloaded and opened allowing the virus to take over the computer.
NotPetya is an aggressive form of ransomware, exploits security holes to infect the computers.
There’s yet another variation called doxware or leakware. Here the attacker threatens to publicise the data stored on the hard drive unless you pay ransom.
Once the virus attacks the computer, it encrypts your files. These files can only be decrypted with a mathematical key known to the attacker. Which means until you send a certain amount of payment to the attacker, the files cannot be restored.
So how can you protect your system and prevent ransomware?
How to Protect Your Business against Ransomware
- Don’t install any software or give it the administrative rights without knowing what it exactly is or what it does.
- If you have recently launched a start-up and don’t have enough resources to form an in-house tech-team, you may outsource business IT solutions from an experienced company.
- Keep all the operating systems up-to-date to make sure that there are fewer vulnerabilities.
- Always keep a backup of your files. This won’t stop the malware attack, but at least you will not lose the valuable data. So, engage in managed backup services and reduce the damage.
- Free antivirus software cannot protect your computer against such attacks.
- Don’t open links from random emails or pop-up messages. If the link looks legitimate, run your mouse over the link without opening it. Now check the small window pop-up with the URL. If the URL differs from that displayed as the link text, it may lead to a potentially harmful site.
However, this is only a basic precaution. Attackers are getting smarter and this trick can change anytime. So stay alert all the time! It’s safe to download files from the trusted senders.
Conclusion
If you are looking for professional assistance to protect your business from ransomware, you are at the right place. We, at Internal IT, serve you a comprehensive solution. We use Bitdefender GravityZone for antivirus and Veeam for backups. With our competitive price and superior customer services, we take pride in being one of the best Perth antivirus providers. For any questions, feel free to get in touch with us on (08) 6424 3030 or drop an email to hello@internalit.com.au.