Backup & File Sharing, SecuriSync Backup and File Sharing, Security
Now is not the time to get complacent about ransomware attacks
Ransomware continues to be a major disruption to businesses and users. Last week, the government of Madison County in Indiana had to resort to using pen and paper to manage police, firefighter, and other official business after a ransomware attack locked them out of their systems.
Despite extensive media coverage and increased awareness about ransomware, attacks persist. Kaspersky Lab reported that the number of attacks more than doubled in Q3 of this year, with many new variations across multiple attack vectors. While mobile applications on Android™ devices have been a potential threat for a while, fake retail applications – some of which contain malware – have begun to appear in Apple’s App Store.
And last week, Intel® Security reported that the Cerber strain of ransomware has begun to target databases, an enhancement that allows it to specifically go after businesses.
Ransomware appears to be sticking around for a while and while alarming, there are steps businesses can take to minimize the threat.
Here’s how:
- Educate employees to use caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or downloading applications and remind them to immediately report any suspicious activity to their IT team.
- Utilize AV/AS tools to scan emails to reduce the risk of infected emails being delivered to users’ inboxes.
- Backup your files frequently and make sure you’re backing up all of your critical business information. The best defense against cyber-attacks is being able to easily access and restore data so you can get users back to work quickly.
For more information about ransomware mitigation strategies, visit www.intermedia.com/ransomware
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