Ransomware, the devastating cybercrime that locks people and corporations out of their files and demands money for their safe return, continues to rise. According to the New York Times, more than 200,000 organizations submitted files that were compromised in a ransomware attack, up 41 percent from 2018. Payment amounts increased to more than $84,000 in Q4 2019, more than double from Q3. Payment demands in the millions are not unheard of–you’ve probably heard of them in the news over the past few years.
The FBI doesn’t recommend organizations pay the ransom for a few reasons: For one, it just encourages the perpetrators, and two, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your data back. Third, as the saying goes, “there’s no honor among thieves.” Once you’ve been breached, there’s really nothing stopping the hackers from releasing your data on the dark web anyway, even if you pay up.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Below are three tips on how to keep sensitive and valuable data safe:
Finally, In terms of a broader security strategy, adopting a zero trust model can go a long way towards strengthening your security posture. While there is no bulletproof method to prevent cyber-attacks (due to their ever-evolving sophistication and our own penchant for making mistakes), the more proactive you are, the faster you can respond to a breach if and when it does happen. By following the above tips, you can be better prepared for ransomware.
If you’re looking to protect yourself from ransomware, Otava can help. Our cloud backup powered by Veeam offers ransomware protection in the form of our ransomware protected data replicas. With 7-day backup protection leveraging Veeam Insider Protection, we ensure your data remains intact even if a malicious third party remotely wipes your backup data. Contact us to learn more.
Otava provides the secure, compliant hybrid cloud solutions demanded by service providers, channel partners and enterprise clients in compliance-sensitive industries. By actively aggregating best-of-breed cloud companies and investing in people, tools, and processes, Otava’s global footprint continues to expand. The company provides its customers in highly regulated disciplines with a clear path to transformation through its effective solutions and broad portfolio of hybrid cloud, data protection, disaster recovery, security and colocation services, all championed by an exceptional support team. Learn more at www.otava.com.