“WannaCry” might have faded from the headlines but ransomware is still a very real threat. Here are just a few scary stats:

• FBI confirmed more than 4,000 attacks in the US every day of Q1 2016
• More than $209 million was paid to criminals to release the files during that time
• 47% of businesses have been affected by ransomware
• 59% of ransomware viruses were delivered by email attachments and embedded URLs
• 25% of phishing emails collected by PhishMe Q3 2016 contained ransomware, up from 92% in Q1

Perhaps the most mind-boggling statistic, though, is this one:

• 52% of businesses that were victims of successful cyber attacks in 2016 did nothing to bolster their resources to identify and combat this criminal activity!

Are you one of those businesses that has decided these cyber attacks are inevitable and you will just take your chances? Not a good idea. Ransomware attacks are a growth industry thanks to technology advances and anonymous payment systems such as Bitcoin.

This is not the time to play willing victim.

3 Strategies to Respond to the Ransomware Threat

You know this deadly ransomware can cost you time, money and clients. Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to deal with it, including these components:

Prevention

• Protect your business by continually updating software and installing security patches
• Educate all employees to look for and identify phishing attempts
• Develop an emergency response plan that kicks in immediately a ransomware attack is spotted
• Test system and employee vigilance with fake attacks

Control

• Isolate the infection by removing affected computers or even shutting down the network
• Work quickly to determine the scope of the outbreak; e.g. number of devices and files affected
• Identify the source of the virus in order to patch any security weakness

Business Continuity

• Instant rollback to clean files
• Immediate access to those files

Once you understand there can be a viable response to the threat of ransomware, you can work up all the elements of a plan and roll it out.

Digital6 Software Solution

Your business cannot afford the hours and even days it might take to roll back to uninfected files, file-by-file, and then to restore access. An essential component of a successful plan to ensure continuity of all your business processes is the installation of a file management tool that combines both real time backup and file sharing.

Digital6 Technologies can supply you with ShareSync. This backup and file sharing service automatically syncs files across all desktop and mobile devices and the web. Folders and files are shared easily while the data is secured and protected.

Contact one of our Digital6 Technologies specialists to discuss the particular concerns you have about ransomware and develop an effective ShareSync response.