With the number of global ransomware attacks in the hundreds of millions, businesses — small and large — are promptly aiming to determine ways to protect and secure their business’ valuable information. Notably, ransomware attacks disproportionately affect smaller businesses; those with fewer necessary resources and know-how to prevent such cyberattacks.
While cybercriminals become increasingly crafty, measures can be taken to strengthen your business’s defenses against ransomware and reduce the risk of falling victim to these malicious attacks.
Protecting your business from ransomware attacks: 4 best practices
Protecting your business from cyberthreats is, more often than not, a matter of ensuring that all your i’s are dotted and t’s crossed — identifying any and all security gaps within your infrastructure and adjusting accordingly.
To strengthen your business’s resilience against ransomware attacks, here are four steps that can be taken:
1. Back up your data regularly
While storing a back-up of all your business’ information on the cloud is beneficial, also consider storing your data on an external hardware device — out of the reach of potential cyberattacks. Given the unpredictable and common nature of ransomware attacks, all data should be backed up on a weekly basis, if not more frequently, alongside regular testing to ensure its integrity and accessibility.
Additionally, encrypting the stored data serves as an additional wall of protection, preventing unauthorized access even if the hardware device is compromised.
2. Ensure your software is up-to-date
Software updates often come part-in-parcel with security patches that address potential vulnerabilities. Outdated software — and their associated security gaps — is a common entry point for cybercriminals, allowing them to exploit known vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access.
It’s best to update your software regularly and promptly, ensuring that all organization-wide software is accounted for.
3. Educate your employees
While a handful of today’s workforce are aware of the do’s and don’ts of cyber protection, regular reminders go a long way in ensuring that employees remain vigilant against evolving cyber threats — particularly given the evolving nature and strategies of such threats.
Educate your staff on what ransomware attacks are and how they commonly come to fruition. Guide them on what emails are suitable to open and which aren’t, and what they should do in the instance of a suspicious link. Encourage them to use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. And, conducting simulated phishing exercises can be beneficial to assess their level of awareness and responsiveness.
The sooner businesses can implement cybersecurity educational opportunities, the better: More than six out of ten executives and employees report being asked to assist in ransomware attacks. With this quantity only projected to increase, informing and guiding staff on inevitable cyberattacks is necessary for ongoing business security.
4. Lean on protective software
As cybercriminals have become craftier, certain technologies have emerged as an innovative way to fortify businesses and their information security. There are technologies available that can be implemented in your business’ devices that work to continuously monitor and detect potential cyber threats.
Total Defense offers total protection for small- to medium-sized businesses against cyberattacks. With our anti-malware protection, ransomware protection, mobile security and anti-phishing technology, you can rest assured that your organization is protected against varying types of cyberthreats.
Our software offers automatic updates, around-the-clock protection and cross-device security, all while having no impact on the speed of your devices. To view an expansive list of Total Defense small businesses solutions, explore our Business Internet Security products today.
