The most stressful question when a ransomware event occurs…. Can you recover without paying? Today’s technological environment presents many opportunities for companies…small and large, and individuals, to fall into the trap. Many think they have reliable backups only to find that the recovery method isn’t complete, or has flaws, and valuable information cannot be recovered…. unless paying the ransom request. And often, those who have made a ransom payment do not recover the data. So, how can we be absolutely certain that readiness is achieved? First…the backup plan(s) must be complete, and the recovery plan must be tested as in a real case event.
Protecting data is just the first step. Second, and just as important…teach your staff how to identify phishing emails. Educate all employees continually on the methods that ransomware presents/uses to hijack the files. Many of the most recent outbreaks of ransomware start when one individual clicks on a link in an email and unknowingly unlocks the entire network to an outsider. By clicking on the links or downloading files and folders, these users can put all of the company’s sensitive and mission critical data at risk.
So, prepare for these events with tested backups. Continue to educate/remind all users…how ransomware events begin, and employ the best detection tools and software available. There are services available to help detect these threats. Columbus Data Technologies can help you attain the correct level of protection, and educate your users to recognize the methods used to further these attacks. Together, we can mitigate the threat and help your business achieve its goals.