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Ransomware is a growing threat to business. As the number of attacks increases, many companies wonder if it’s worth paying the ransom to regain their data.
Cybersecurity experts warn that paying a ransom could incentivize hackers to continue attacking businesses and infringing on critical infrastructure. That’s why they recommend organizations take a layered approach to security and avoid the need for ransomware settlements.
Take a Layered Approach to Security
When protecting your business, it’s essential to take a layered approach to security. By doing so, you’ll be able to prevent ransomware attacks from happening in the first place.
Ransomware is malware that locks data files until you pay a ransom to unlock them. This is a typical cyberattack that can cause significant damage to businesses financially and in terms of loss of productivity and brand reputation.
A layered approach to security involves using several components in your strategy so that another backs each up should something go wrong. This makes it more difficult for hackers to attack you and gives you more time to react.
A layered approach to cybersecurity can also help you protect against other attacks like phishing and social engineering. By implementing tools that provide complete visibility into your network, you can cut off threats in their early stages. These tools can help you detect anomalies, hunt for malicious activity and alert you to breaches before they even occur.
Backup Your Data Both On and Offline
Data backup is an essential part of your cyber security strategy. It can protect your data from hackers, ransomware attacks, and other threats.
Online backup services send copies of your data to cloud-based servers. These are accessible from any location with an Internet connection.
While this system can be convenient, it also comes with some drawbacks. Most notably, it takes time to upload and back up your data. In addition, it uses up your bandwidth to do so.
Offline backups, on the other hand, are a lot faster. They do not use an Internet connection to send your files to remote locations.
Moreover, they are usually stored on an external hard drive. They can be convenient in case your computer gets stolen or damaged.
Regardless of the type of backup you choose, backing up your data online is essential. This will help you avoid the risk of a data loss event and keep your business running smoothly.
Train Your Staff
Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts data until it is paid, often in exchange for decryption keys. This attack is increasingly becoming a significant security risk, and businesses are severely disadvantaged when protecting their assets.
Businesses must take action to educate staff members about cybersecurity best practices and heed the advice of experts like Fortinet regarding a ransomware settlement payment. This can include educating employees about identifying and preventing standard phishing emails.
This is important for everyone, including your IT team and the high-level executives in your organization. This will help them to spot suspicious behavior and report it to the right people.
Investing in training will also save your business from downtime and costly remediation. When your staff can spot a phishing email or infected attachment, they can stop a ransomware attack.
Install Anti-Malware Software
Installing anti-malware software is one of the most effective ways to protect your business from malware. These tools can help to protect against ransomware by detecting and preventing malicious files from getting onto your computer or network.
However, antivirus programs can’t prevent all types of attacks from happening in the first place. That’s why you must proactively protect your business against security threats.
You need to take a layered approach to your cyber defense to do that. This means using multiple tools to secure your business, including firewalls, antivirus software, spam filters, and cloud data loss prevention.
You should also train your staff to recognize ransomware and other phishing emails. This will ensure your employees know how to protect their information and your business. It will also ensure they can spot suspicious emails before clicking on them or downloading anything from them.
Keep Your Operating Systems Updated
Ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated, causing organizations to lose access to their data and shut down their operations. But despite these unfortunate events, the good news is that most ransomware infections can be avoided with proper protection.
The key is to make sure your operating system is up-to-date. These updates contain security patches and new features that help prevent your computer from being hacked by malware or virus programs.
These updates make your system more compatible with the latest software and hardware versions. If you don’t keep up with software updates, it can cause your operating system to run slower and become more challenging to use.
Keeping your operating systems up-to-date can be time-consuming, but ensuring your business doesn’t fall prey to ransomware is critical. The sooner you start making these upgrades, the faster you’ll be able to protect your business from these potentially damaging attacks.
