How can you prevent ransomware attack? “Ransomware Attacks”, we have seen it in the news. But what is ransomware, and do you need to be worried about becoming a victim?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that threatens computer systems. The premise is simple. A hacker, or a hacking program, gains access to your computer, and then encrypts all your files. Other computers on the same network that are connected to your computer, may have their files encrypted as well. As long as the files are encrypted you cannot access any of your data. The only way to “unlock” your files is to pay a “ransom” to the hackers, who will then provide you with a “key” to restore your files.
There are a number of reasons why ransomware has been growing year after year. Thousands of computers are infected every single day. Many people have reached out to us and asked, how they can protect their business. The good news is, you can do a lot to protect yourself without paying crazy fees. Let’s start by giving you free suggestions to get started today.
Backup Everything Regularly
Sounds simple enough and always a good practice. This means always having an OFFLINE backup of your files and system. With Mac computers keeping offline backups with time-machine is a good start. There are other products and services on the market to help you with backups including Dropbox, Carbonite, and iDrive. Keep in mind that a cloud backup isn’t necessarily safe from encryption. You need to look over any service you choose carefully understanding how they back up and store your files. If you have a network with computers attached, you need to back up your files a little differently to be ready for a ransomware attack.
Teach and Remind All Employees of Potential Threats
Seems like common sense to resist opening an email that you don’t recognize or that looks suspicious. It is not always that easy. A good email filtering program and setup can help cut down on the risk of unwanted and dangerous spam. Email threats are real, some are very convincing and can even spoof email addresses, making it look like it is from a known contact. Another area to watch is “drive-by downloads”. This is when you visit an infected website. By simply going to the website a virus can be downloaded without you knowing.
Prepare Now To Prevent Ransomware Attack
It has often been said that a good offense is better than a great defense. This is true when it comes to a ransomware attack and protecting your network, computers, and files. You need to have a plan and put it into action now. At the very least you need to have someone in your organization responsible for implementing your plan. Don’t have a plan? Now is the time to put one together. You need to take into consideration the types of computers in your office, network servers, laptops, and backups. If your website is currently managed by us, you don’t need to worry about your office network affecting your website. We take necessary precautions and planning to make sure your website is always secure and backed up regularly and often. If you are not currently working with Red 3 Media, give us a call or reach out to us for a free review.
What if You Have Been Attacked by Ransomware?
Hopefully, you have that backup plan in place we talked about. While you can’t unencrypt your files, you can remove the virus from your computers and networks. Then it’s just a matter of reloading your backed-up programs and files back to your network. No doubt you will probably receive a request for money. Keep this in mind. Even if you pay the “ransom” for your files, there is no guarantee you will even be provided the key to unlock. Besides, paying a ransom fee only encourages criminals to continue trying to attack more and more computer networks.
Red 3 Media has been helping businesses reach their potential for over 20 years. If your current advertising and marketing methods are not performing to your expectations, we are here to help. Never any long term contracts. Month over month, we prove our value and enjoy seeing our client’s businesses grow. If you have more questions on setting up Gmail for business check our Blog. We also show you how to set up Gmail signatures, setting up Gmail on phones, and how to use Google My Business to increase your ranking!
