So, what do you do if ransomware makes its way onto your network?
We’ve all seen those emails that just don’t look quite right. They promise extravagant sums of money, vacations, health enhancements, and many other things to vulnerable audiences. Most of the time, it is relatively obvious to an untrained eye that something is disingenuous. Sometimes, however, the links look totally legitimate and before you know it, the ransomware has locked up your entire network. This can cause many problems for you, your business, and your customers. So, what do you do if ransomware makes its way onto your network?
Constant Evolution
Cyber criminals are constantly evolving and learning more as technology advances. They use the latest methods to lock up their victims’ data. They are also learning more and more about how to get victims to download the software. Their “download this!” and other such links are getting more and more realistic, so that they blend in with the web site or email message that they are in. With the prevalence of social media usage that exists today, hackers are even using that to spread their malicious software.
What to Do
One sure-fire way to prevent data loss due to ransomware is to have your company’s data securely backed up somewhere off-site. Whether it be in the cloud or a hard copy, a constantly-updating backup of all of your data will prevent the loss of any data to ransomware.
In the event of an attack, turn off the infected machine and disconnect it from the network completely. This will prevent the spread of the ransomware, which can happen faster than you might think. You also need to alert law enforcement. While in many cases there is little that they can do, they do still need to be made aware of the situation.
If your network does happen to become the victim of a ransomware attack and you don’t have backups, you have two options. If you pay, you have a little more than a fifty percent chance of actually getting your data back. If you choose not to pay, that data is gone for sure. Even though it is possible to remove the malicious software, your data will be so heavily encrypted that you won’t be getting it back.
Whether you choose to pay or not, the most important thing to do after a ransomware attack is to figure out how it got into your network in the first place. This can help you identify and block any holes that may be in your network security.
IT Solutions and Network Protection from Global Harvest Networks
Global Harvest Networks has been working for the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas since 2000 and we’re ready to lend our expertise to you! We offer a wide range of IT solutions that can tackle any and all of your network’s needs. Please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can help you! You can also give us a call at 410-691-1130. We’re ready to assess your system, diagnose the problem, and help you find a plan that will strengthen your network all free of charge! For more information on the latest things you should protect your system from, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
