Ransomware is a multi-million-dollar crime operation that poses a great threat to a lot of online businesses. Ransomware has been so beneficial for hackers, that they have completely given up on other methods and shifted their entire focus toward conning businesses and people by stealing their credit card information and bank account credentials. As ransomware has become so much popular, businesses need to do so much more to protect themselves against this very real threat. About 28% of the ransomware victims are so desperate that they end up paying the hackers, motivating them to conduct further hacks. If you don’t want to be one of those who end up paying hackers, you need to take some immediate action. Here are four ways you can protect your business against a ransomware attack.
Keep Backups of Everything
First of all, you need to ensure that you have a backup of every file and document that you have. It includes everything from your employees to executives. Keeping backups is a way to regain all the lost information as once your network gets inflicted with the virus, all of your files and documents will be rendered obsolete. If you have a proper backup of your files, you won’t have to pay the hackers, and you can simply download your backup and continue doing business. However, if you have any sensitive information in those files, you may have to take less favorable decisions like paying the ransom.
Use a Reputable Antivirus Software and Company
Although having antivirus software doesn’t give you a guarantee that you are 100% safe from the virus, it can still be very great protection against it. The best way that you can fight any ransomware attack is by acquiring the services of a cybersecurity company that helps businesses and individuals protect themselves against it and deal with its repercussions. Such companies have an expert system that protects your files and can decrypt them in case of an attack.
Make Sure that You Practice Good Online Hygiene
If you want to make sure that you never suffer from a ransomware attack, you have to begin with educating your employees and make sure that you protect your online identity. There are some simple steps that you can follow, such as never open unsolicited attachments, never provide information in email or passwords, optimize your IT department, and have a swift response team in case of an attack. You should conduct seminars so that your employees know how to keep a safe online image and make sure that they never compromise their online identity. Educate them on the difference between safe and phishing emails, which is how hackers mostly hack into companies.
Patch and Block
One thing that you have to keep in mind when running a business is the fact that no matter how much you train your employees, they are going to make mistakes, and it is only human to do so. The weakest link between the internet and safety will be human intervention, and it doesn’t matter how much protection you use; a virus is going to get every once in a while. Your employees are going to open infected emails, and when they do so, you need to make sure that your security technology protects you. In most of the web attacks, hackers exploit the vulnerabilities in your third-party plug-ins, so you need to keep them up to date. Malware often finds its way into your network through bugs in software and applications, which is why you need to patch and update them regularly. Applying security patches will give hackers fewer options to infect you.
