Remember us talking about ransomware— malicious software that encrypts files, blocks access to computer systems and requires an anonymous payment— and how it was going to disrupt a lot of businesses this year? Well, unfortunately, we were right.
According to a CNN report, ransomware is on track to become a $1 Billion industry. Since the beginning of 2017, there have been a number of data breaches and cyber-attacks, including the following:
Video about the Google Doc Scam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB6xyDyrcz0
The U.S. isn’t the only country being hit. A ransomware attack leveraging alleged NSA hacking tools hit the U.K. National Health System mid-May and has spread globally, impacting hospitals, universities, manufacturers, major companies and government offices including FedEx and Spanish telecom Telefonica. The malware, named WanaCryptOr 2.0 ransomware or Wannacry, locked up 300,000 computers in 99 countries total and has been named one of the biggest cyberattacks EVER!
Global Cyberwarfare
Attacks can happen to any sized business located in any country and even individuals who leave themselves vulnerable. A massive data breach can cause interruptions that could result in loss of potential revenue or a ruined reputation.
If your business and data gets infected, you may wonder what your options are and what to do. Unfortunately, you’d find out quickly that once your computer is infected, your options are very limited:
In an effort to avoid being infected, you can take some precautious steps to better protect yourself, your business and your clients:
You can also contact a professional to ensure you don’t fall victim in the year of ransomware! ComputerWeekly predicts that in 2017, at least a quarter of small businesses will turn to more specialized, managed security service providers (MSSPs) for their security needs, and this percentage will continue to increase each year.