Posted by: TAZ Networks on August 4, 2017 at 2:00 pm
A recent study showed that 22% of businesses hit by ransomware had to shut down immediately.
22%. Shut down immediately. We’re not sure which point is more shocking.
“Sure,” you say, “but what are the odds that my business will be attacked? We’re just small, after all.”
Sorry to say, in that same study, 1/3 of the businesses surveyed had been attacked in the previous year, regardless of size. Some lost only a few hours of productivity. But about 17% suffered 25 hours of downtime, while some were basically out of business for more than 100 hours.
Keep in mind that all of these statistics have to do with ransomware only. Viruses, malware, and social engineering scams aren’t even included.
Cybercrime is largely opportunistic. Most of the time, hackers don’t care how large or small you are. They’re just looking for an opening. And they’ll take whatever they can get.
Most ransomware attacks in the U.S. come through as email attachments and links (study).
Think about it this way: Petty criminals don’t care if your car is fancy or a junker. If you leave your doors unlocked at night, you run the risk of someone going through your glovebox or taking your stereo.
Don’t give cybercriminals an opening! One of the most common sources of ransomware in the US is email. Malicious attachments and bad links accounted for approximately 64% of ransomware infections. In addition to crucial staff education, spam filtering can help minimize these threats.
Is your computer network protected against ransomware as well as it can be? Is someone making sure that operating systems, browsers, firewalls, anti-viruses and anti-malware are all current with the latest updates? Does your staff know how to spot a scam email at 20 paces?
Ransomware keeps getting worse because it works. Email scams are popular because they work. Attacks will get more frequent and more damaging. But proactive security can prevent major downtime, dollars lost, and possibly losing your business.
Let TAZ networks worry about ransomware so you don’t have to.