As A New Year Dawns, Ransomware Continues To Drive Cybersecurity Experts Crazy!
Datto’s recent State of the Channel Ransomware Report contains a treasure trove of information that small-to-medium size businesses (SMBs) and IT firms can use for the coming year. One of the report’s findings is troubling―ransomware continues to thwart cybersecurity efforts and remains the number one malware threat.
50% of IT professionals surveyed reported that despite layers of defense, including employee education, antivirus programs, pop-up blockers, and endpoint detection solutions, ransomware-infused malware penetrated cyber-defenses to wreak havoc upon targeted networks.
Cybercriminals Are Masters Of Deception
To evade detection and increase infection rates:
- Criminals know that security firms will update their virus/malware definitions the minute a ransomware strain is detected in the wild. To increase infection rates, they continuously modify their software to evade updated security programs.
- Since social engineering is the primary vehicle for transmitting ransomware, criminals regularly update their tactics. The sad fact is that many security education programs don’t go far enough in their training. Employees must know how to keep their systems secure, not just how to identify phishing schemes.
Precisely because of the above, SMBs keep taking the bait. Folks, ransomware is here to stay, and the cyber-war will continue for as long as there is an internet! Below is a graphic of the leading causes of attacks as reported by Datto in their State of the Channel Ransomware Report:
The Devastating Aftermath of Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware has evolved, and the one thing for SMBs to know is that attacks are rarely limited to one computer. Because of poor security practices, most attacks start at one workstation and worm their way to other PCs, into SaaS applications, and ultimately to the grand prize―company server(s).
If not dealt with quickly and efficiently, the consequences can be severe. Here’s what Datto found out:
According to the IT experts, nearly 20% of clients were forced to pay the ransom to get their data back. Those who initiated recovery procedures were forced to spend 50 times greater than the ransom requested in an attempt to get back to normal operation. Of course, recovery success varies according to the systems in place at the time.
PROPER layered Defense Is The Best Protection
A well-planned layered defense that includes a Business Continuity Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solution is the best way to mitigate an attack’s consequences. No one system or combination of products can guarantee 100% protection against ransomware. However, a BCDR solution is your insurance policy when the unthinkable happens.
Full BCDR capabilities are integral for recovery should a successful ransomware attack occur. Without it, you may want to think about starting a ransomware-payment bank account―because you’re going to need it!
In our opinion, the best BCDR solution on the market today is Datto’s Unified Continuity Product Suite. Datto gives you comprehensive data protection, instant on-site failover, cloud failover and recovery, and daily backup verification capabilities.
Want to learn more about protecting and securing your data and network? Call us at (845) 362-9675 for a free, no-obligation consultation. You’d be surprised how affordable BCDR and network security options really are.
A proper layered defense strategy must include the following:
- Business Continuity Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
- Employee training
- Patch management
- Unified threat management
- Antivirus / Anti-malware software
- Email / Spam filters
- Endpoint detection and response
- Identity access
- Endpoint / Mobile management
Take Action Now
We have the opportunity to speak to SMBs daily. Unfortunately, quite a few are not as concerned as they should be. Datto’s report finds that only 30% of SMBs are anxious about the threat of ransomware. It is this attitude that compels cyber-thieves to concentrate their attacks on this “low-hanging fruit.”
Criminals know that SMBs do not have the large security budgets of mega-corporations and do not make the necessary investments in security that they should.
Take action now, and avoid becoming a victim. Invest in security and install a layered security defense strategy that includes a BCDR solution. Doing so will protect your business and the livelihoods of yourself and your employees.
XSolutions is an Elite Partner of Datto, the world leader in Hybrid-Cloud Business Continuity solutions. We provide Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), Backup as a Service (BaaS), Cloud Data Protection (CDP), and Managed IT Services (MSP). Call (845) 362-9675 for a free consultation. Backup & Disaster Recovery| Cloud Data Protection |Managed IT Services
