Protecting Your Business From Ransomware

Huge enterprises are one of the most common targets of hackers. By hijacking businesses’ sensitive data and demanding a ‘ransom,’ they can earn thousands of dollars. The saddest thing is that there is no guarantee the access to the files will be returned after money is paid.

But what to do to avoid a cyber attack? And which actions should you take before it happens?

The wisest decision is to hire a team of experts, a lot of companies like Bulletproof, or other firms that specialize in ethical hacking who create the whole cybersecurity plan to protect your business from ransomware attacks. But if you decide to deal with this hazard by yourself, here is a list of things to do:

Educate Your Employees About Cyber Security

Very often, a ransomware attack starts from sending malicious links via email, dubious websites, pop-ups to the people who work at a company. Hackers may play with your employees’ curiosity, luring them to click to find out interesting information or news.

Consider installing an ad blocker, or another plugin that will not let malicious pop-ups appear on your screen. It will decrease the risk of clicking malware links by accident.

Hackers can also do research about the private life of trusted workers, hack their email accounts, and send messages to the rest of the people at a company. Nowadays, social media let everyone have access to private information about a person. And hackers successfully use this privilege.

As a result of which, phishing emails are a very common way to spread malware. An employer can also receive a malicious message from someone outside the company. It can be their friend or a family member. One wrong click can lead to a ransomware attack.

To boost your security, you need to explain to your employees what ransomware attacks are and how they are transmitted. They should know that every dubious email with poor spelling, many mistakes, unusual content, suspicious links can have malware. Train them to spot malicious links to protect your data. A good training method is to use ransomware tabletop exercise scenarios, that way they have an almost life-like experience in detecting these attacks.

Don’t let your employees enter websites that do not start with https. ‘S’ in the end stands for “secure”. This internet communication protocol protects the integrity and confidentiality of data between the user’s computer and the site they enter. The web sites that do not have it are more likely to contain malware.

You can also configure your browsers not to let users enter not secure web sites. It will either send an alert to the user or block the access to a dubious web page.

Backup All Your Files Daily

Your business is protected from ransomware if all your sensitive files are backed up. You should store your data in a separate device or online to decrease the impact of potential ransomware attacks. So, if your devices and services get encrypted, you won’t have to pay a fortune to regain access.

The best solution is to make a couple of copies of the same file. Many clouds offer you this option. So, if hackers have access to all your systems, you can still recover your data.

Update Your Anti-Malware Software Regularly

To prevent a cyber-attack and protect sensitive data, you need to update your antivirus constantly. Many people forget about it. But even a couple of hours when you forget about installing your anti-virus might be enough for insidious hackers.

Therefore, you should configure your anti-malware system, so it updates by itself every time there is a new version. It may also send you a reminder to make sure you remember to download a newer version or get updated without your help.

This is highly essential for those who want to prevent ransomware attacks and protect their business. Every day, newer malware software is being created. An older anti-malware may not be able to recognize the newest viruses. To boost your security, you have to update all your systems regularly.

The Bottom Line

You should know how to protect your business from ransomware and not let your precious data leak. Be proactive and train your employees on how to spot malicious links and websites.

Don’t hesitate to dedicate as much time as needed for educating your workers about their cybersecurity. Also, remember to back up all your files and update anti-malware.

Remember that nowadays, your cybersecurity is as important as a physical one. Don’t neglect this fact. Hopefully, this guide was helpful. And you will have as much protection from ransomware as possible.