2017 will go down in history as the year a notorious ransomware christened “WannaCry” was used by hackers to infect victims using Windows computers. This attack did not discriminate based on the size of the firm; as a matter of fact, the attackers targeted small, medium, and large firms’ computers all at the same time. The greatest fear these victims had was whether the attack would lead to a data breach or not. For your business, it is important to ensure your LA IT support provider audits your system to check if a recent attack leaked your corporate data.
What is Ransomware?
As the name suggests, ransomware is a malicious software that infects computer systems, denying users any form of access to their computers, and in some cases, goes ahead to demand a ransom to be paid for the user to regain access and control of their own computer.
How Do Attacks Happen?
Oftentimes, malware infects computer systems when a user opens a cloud-based document or an email attachment infected with the malware. LA IT support providers have found out that this malware has the ability to replicate itself and infect other computers connected to the affected computer. Once the infection has happened, the hacker gains access to the infected computer and can execute tasks, such as viewing, copying, or deleting files from your system.
Business Risks of Ransomware
There are numerous ways ransomware can have a negative impact on your company. Four of the riskiest are:
- Loss of Valuable Data – A malicious hacker can access your computer and delete corporate data or copy and leak it on the Internet. This can be damaging, especially for firms that keep personally identifiable information (PII).
- Business Interruption – Ransomware attacks deny users access to their infected computers, meaning employees might be locked out of the system they need to do their job.
- Losses in Revenue – Aside from losing revenue due to disrupted workflow, your firm can also lose revenue when you have to dig into your company accounts to pay the ransom demanded by the hackers.
- Loss of Clients – If it is discovered that the ransomware attack leads to a data breach, chances are you will lose very important clients. Both the state and federal laws require you to notify clients whose PII might have been stolen. You are also duty-bound to report the incident to the relevant authorities.
How to Prevent Future Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware is preventable. You can avoid these attacks by:
- Backing up all corporate data on a regular basis
- Training your employees on how to identify and avoid suspicious emails and attachments
- Updating and patching up all your software.
Talk to the Experts
At Advanced Networks, we are a leading LA IT support provider focused on helping our clients to avoid the harmful effects of ransomware attacks. Contact us today and let us discuss on how best to protect your firm against these intruders.
