Why you need to protect yourself NOW

What is ransomware? Why do so many places seem to get it? What happens if you get it? Is there anything you can do to protect yourself and your business?

Let’s explore these questions in this article and ensure that you and your business can survive any attacks.

What is ransomware?

Great question! Ransomware is, at its simplest explanation, malware that holds your data for ransom. Essentially, once infected, it will prompt you to send money, usually in the form of untraceable cryptocurrency, to a person or persons who will then send you the decryption key. Usually, the ransomware has a couple of days before it erases all the data on the disk. It is highly infectious, spreading across a network incredibly quickly.

Why do so many places seem to get it?

Ransomware is incredibly easy to spread. It also is incredibly hard to stop unless you have a strong IT infrastructure. Ransomware is also non-discriminatory, meaning it will go after individuals and businesses large or small. It doesn’t matter if you only have 10 employees, you are as much a target as a large hospital with thousands.

What happens if you get it?

Don’t pay! Take all devices offline! Call an IT company immediately! These three steps must be taken immediately, to limit the damage. Chances are, if you already have backups, getting ransomware won’t be a major deal. That is to say, it will be a minor inconvenience if the situation isn’t made worse. One or two computers down are far easier to recover than all the devices on your network. Ideally, you are already partnered with an IT company (like PCnet) that will help mitigate both the risk of infection and any negative side effects of an infection.

Is there anything you can do to protect yourself and your business?

Absolutely! The first thing you should do is ensure that you have a disaster recovery plan in place. Next, find out what your backup situation is (if you even have any). Then, you’ll want to reach out to either your internal IT staff or an IT company (like PCnet) to help assess vulnerabilities, training, and plans for when something goes wrong. Plan like something will go wrong and you’ll make it far less likely that something ever actually will. The best thing you can do for yourself and your business is to educate everyone. Make them aware of the dangers and ensure everyone knows what to do in the event of an issue.

Ransomware is bad. There is no mistaking that, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. Protect yourself and your business by being proactive and protecting the data that you rely on daily. Ensure you have plans for an emergency and rehearse them at least once a year.

Contact PCnet today and we can help you plan for – and ideally completely prevent – a major disaster!