5 steps to protect your company from ransomware attack

No IT skills are needed to infect servers with ransomware

Security experts report about a significant increase in ransomware attacks performed against small and large businesses. Hackers deploy file-encrypting viruses to earn illegal profits that are gained in exchange for a special decrypt key. After the malicious program is installed on the system, it encodes data and demands a ransom.^[1]

Cybersecurity experts note that it has become extremely easy to create the crypto-malware, even if you have no IT-related knowledge.^[2] The underground marked is full of ransomware source codes that can be achieved for a specific price. The code can be used to develop a new offspring of the already existent ransomware without programming skills.

Besides, inexperienced crooks can order specific services which collect ransoms and save them in an individual Bitcoin account. As a result, the governmental authorities cannot identify the attacker that easily, so companies keep suffering from the malicious cyber attacks.

Typically, the main reason why businesses keep paying the ransom is that they do not have backups or that they are not informed about alternative data recovery methods.^[3] To avoid unexpected losses, security experts also recommend protecting their servers.

Prevent ransomware attack by following this 5-step guide

In spite of the fact that many companies do not evaluate the possibility of ransomware attack adequately, we prepared a useful strategy which can be adjusted to the business of any scale.

1 Step. Antivirus systems

Using professional security software is a must. Consult with an IT expert to help you choose the most suitable variant. Note that this is not a one-time investment and that it will serve you for years. Thus, the absence of security tools on company’s servers is intolerable.

2 Step. Updates

Usually, criminals try to identify system vulnerabilities when developing new computer threats. Therefore, you should always update OS and security software. It will help you eliminate backdoors which are often exploited in ransomware attacks.^[4]

3 Step. Backups

Backup your documents and other valuable information regularly. This way you will be sure that any files can be retrieved in case of the file-encrypting virus. IT experts note that if you choose to store your backups in an external device, it should be disconnected from the servers afterward or the malware will encode its content as well. Another great option is to store your data in the Cloud since malicious programs are not able to reach it during the attack.

4 Step. Employee education

Train your employees to identify and prevent any security breaches. Since ransomware spread via spam e-mails, make sure that your staff won’t manually infiltrate it^[5].

5 Step. System vulnerability test

Employ an IT technician to check your system’s security regularly. It is vital to identify gaps which can be exploited during the ransomware attack. Make sure that the analysts would take departmental procedures and policies into account as well. Repeat the vulnerability test annually.

If you notice ransomware attack on your server, take appropriate measures immediately

In case of ransomware, you should inform the authorities about the infection and do not even consider paying a ransom. Instead, document the details of the attack briefly and focus on recovering the encrypted information.

Note that the hackers often demand 1 BTC ($8180) or and more for a larger scale business. Therefore, making a transaction and dealing with the data loss might lead you to bankruptcy or enormous financial losses.

Besides, it is vital to inform cooperate firms since ransomware might spread via server network or other compromised documents. Thus, make sure that your allies are aware and taking precautionary measures.

Finally, employ a professional IT specialists to remove ransomware from your servers and try to recover your data using alternative restore methods. Likewise, follow the 5-step guide above to prevent ransomware attack in the future.