Ransomware – How to Guard Against It

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, designed to deny access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid.  It most often spreads through phishing emails or by unknowingly visiting an infected website.  This can affect any computer for either individuals or in a business/organization.

Ransomware has affected in some way as much as 50% of businesses either directly or through association.  Projections show the losses from this malicious software could reach 11.5 billion by 2019.  Besides the direct cost of paying the ransom, the actual costs may include:

• Loss of data (there is never a guarantee that by paying a ransom you actually get your files back)
• Lost profits caused by downtime
• Post-attack recovery costs to get back to normal
• Expenses for forensic investigation
• Investment into new security measures
• Lost business caused by the damage to your reputation
• Employee training in direct response to the attacks

The best way to stay safe from ransomware is to have malware protection and a good backup plan in place.  The backup plan is ultimately the only way to be sure your data will be recoverable.  A good backup plan should include both on-site and off-site copies of your data as well as file versioning.  Let iSharpe Computer Solutions help you get started on a disaster recovery backup plan , give us a call at 336-260-0664.