Imagine waking up on a slow Monday morning. You open up Slack as you punch start on the coffee machine. Instead of the usual greetings and questions, you find a shocking number of messages, all informing you your colleagues cannot access their files and are being asked money to get them back. You boot up your laptop to find the same and are unsure what to do or what to tell your clients.

This is ransomware.

Ransomware can be disastrous for your business, but it is preventable.

Read on to find out how to protect your business from ransomware attacks.

What is Ransomware?

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Intelligence Agency defines ransomware as “a form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable.” After the ransomware is successfully enabled on the system, the distributors contact the owners of these systems to request payment to unlock the unusable files.

The shift to remote work during quarantine adds many more variables and vulnerabilities in companies’ web infrastructure. Since the increase in remote work, ransomware attacks have become more frequent and impacted major companies, including large tech companies and financial institutions.

The Danger of Ransomware

Ransomware may impact your company in extensive, complex ways. As frightening as it is, the initial lockdown of systems is just the beginning. Here are some other ways ransomware can impact your business:

• Loss of revenue during the initial period of lockdown, which can last at least five days.
• Corruption or loss of impacted files.
• Installation of additional malware on your systems even after the ransom is paid.
• Illegal use or sale of stolen data, including customer information.
• Further ransom requests to protect data stolen even after paying.
• Reputation damage

Ransomware costs businesses approximately $29.1 million in 2020, and these numbers will only increase in coming years.

Tips for Protecting Your Company from Ransomware

Stay Informed and Teach Your Teams

Technology is ever-changing, and cybersecurity is no different. In fact, cybersecurity is often where the boundaries are pushed first. Stay on top of new developments in ransomware news and prevention, and remind your team of best practices.

You want your colleagues to feel comfortable approaching your securities team if they suspect any vulnerabilities or cybersecurity concerns. Avoid placing blame, and assure you will work together to resolve the issue and prevent future events.

Proactively Assess Your Systems

Take time to test the security of your systems before ransomware attackers expose them first. Ensure each element in your infrastructure is up-to-date and disable unused elements to reduce the risk of using unmanaged elements.

Ensure your colleagues understand the importance of updating their systems and backing up files. Collaborate with your team to determine a specific day for cybersecurity updates and set aside time for these to take effect.

Add Another Layer of Protection

Enable multi-factor authentication on your systems, including work-from-home devices. This might involve a physical key or a code provided by an application on users’ phones.

Since users will be using their phones to sign in, explain the concerns and policies to accessing the company data. Furthermore, the small phone screens The tiny resolution makes catching suspicious elements of emails tricky, discouraging users from clicking links on the go.

Teksetra is Here to Help

Here at Teksetra, we understand the importance of cybersecurity. Our dedicated team is up-to-date on the latest tactics of hackers. We are here to educate and support your team to prevent attacks, ensure your systems are up to date and monitor for threats.

Safeguarding your systems while keeping your team calm and focused can be a challenge, but one you simply cannot afford to risk ignoring. We’re here to help! We offer many services to assist in securing your systems and the safety of your data.

Remote Worker Support

While many improvements have been made throughout the transition home, getting users safely set up and ready to work requires lots of individual care. We’ve got the remote worker support your team needs from shipping equipment and initial setup to remote technical support.

In-Office Employee Support

For offices that have begun to re-open their physical locations after quarantine, we can assist

• Relocating workers for safe in-office work
• Remote repairs of equipment
• Temperature check kiosks to help keep your colleagues safe
• In-office cybersecurity measures

Don’t let a ransomware attack bring your organization to a halt, destroy trust with your clients and steal your hard-earned revenue. We at Teksetra want to help keep you safe in as many ways as we can. Contact us today about our cybersecurity, infrastructure, and support services!