Ransomware attack, How to deal with one
Ransomware is a major problem and now it’s becoming a business killer.
Whilst there are steps you can take to protect your business from ransomware, the chances of being a victim of a successful attack is high. Very high. 71% of companies targeted by ransomware attacks have been infected.
What does a ransomware attack look like?
Hackers are becoming more sophisticated and have built many ways to infect your computer. Your staff must be vigilant. Infection can be caused by clicking on links on a compromised website.
The most common infection method are phishing emails. They are made to look like genuine emails but clicking a link will infect your computer.
The newest forms of ransomware can quickly spread across a network, infecting a whole business. Once infected your computer will display a message and details of the ransom. All your files will be encrypted and you won’t be able to access any of your data.
What to do if you’re a victim of an attack
Once your computer or network has become infected your next step depends on how prepared you are. You are faced with 3 choices.
Pay the ransom
Restore from a backup
Cut your losses and bin the computers
Many experts stress the importance of never paying the ransom. You will encourage future attacks and there is no guarantee you’ll get your data back by paying. These are criminals you’re dealing with.
We don’t know too many businesses that can just afford to forget about their data and buy new computers.
Back up is your friend
Backups are very important in helping a business survive a cyber attack but that is only a small part of what a business will need to do.
Get help preparing for ransomware
With a robust back up process, recovering from an attack can be just as simple as ‘rewinding’ to 15 minutes before the attack.
Arc Systems have recently been conducting case studies with some of their clients and a future publication will look at a local company who have utilised our on-site data systems to perform this very service – so look out for that in the coming days!
It’s difficult for a business, especially the commonly targeted smaller business, to implement a full back up strategy. You will then have to remove all the malware from your computers and network. Then you can recover your data.
Ransomware is scary and it can ruin a business with just the click of a link. It’s important not to panic about ransomware and to prepare for it probably. Arc Systems can help you make sure your business can survive a ransomware attack.
Let us know your ransomware concerns in the comments below and if you require any further information, call us on 01268 288100 and speak to a member of our sales team.