Cyber-crime has risen by 31% over the last year, and it’s only increasing. A lot of businesses have the mentality that it won’t happen to them, but 43% of attacks happen to small businesses. Hackers target smaller businesses because they are less likely to have security measures in place.
The question you need to be asking yourself is this: how protected are you? 3 out of 4 small businesses say they don’t have a designated ‘IT person’ to handle the IT security. If this sounds like you, then your business is at great risk.
The fact is, you’re incredibly lucky to have got this far without an attack.
Carry on reading this blog for more information about a specific type of cyber-attack called ransomware or discover more about different types of malware in our free guide – click here.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of cyber-attack where a group of hackers use sophisticated software to encrypt your files, and then lock your computers from access until you pay a ransom. They may even threaten to publish your files on the dark web. You must pay in an untraceable cryptocurrency, and even if you do, there is no guarantee that you will ever get your files back.
Most companies end up paying the ransom, simply because the cost of lost business due to lack of access to the company’s data is seemingly worse than the ransom being demanded.
If you are interested in reading more about ransomware, take a look at our FREE guide. You will learn more about how ransomware can affect your business and what you can do to prevent your business from being attacked.
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What happens if your business is hit by ransomware?
Once the hacker has access to your computer, they will then get into the whole network. This means that you or anyone else in your business will not be able to access anything. Could you afford for everything to stop if your company were hit by ransomware?
All of your hard work and time invested in your business would be for nothing, so we can’t emphasise enough how important it is to take your cyber security seriously.
Largest Ransomware attack ever seen
At the start of the month, there was a ransomware attack that paralysed thousands of businesses all over the world. The attack was organised by REvil, a Russian based ransomware as a service group, and happened over the span of a single weekend. Many businesses endured a lot of heartbreak and stress, knowing they were in such a vulnerable position. The supply-chain ransomware attack leveraged a vulnerability in Kaseya VSA software against multiple managed service providers and their customers.
This attack targeted smaller businesses – small businesses such as dental and plastic surgery practices, architecture firms, and other small entities all over the world. In Sweden, around 800 COOP shops had to close due to this attack, along with many other smaller businesses.
Avoid being a victim of a ransomware attack
Your business is at risk everyday of all kinds of cyber-attacks, which is why it is so imperative that you take a proactive approach cyber-security. You need to have risk conversations with your IT support team, so you can decide on what course of action you need to employ.
What I will say, is that every small business worldwide is a target for cyber-crime. Quite often when I talk to our clients, I get “it won’t happen to us, we’re too small”. The issue here is, many attacks are random and automated, or caused by users, and there is every chance you (and even us!) will be targeted. Ransomware organisations are only after money, and most businesses will pay thousands of pounds to retrieve access to their computer systems, so it’s easier and cheaper to put in preventative measures.
Get the right support
Many of our clients will know that we’ve been focused on talking to and educating people about security, and how the landscape has changed over the last few years. As an IT support company, we take security extremely seriously, and utilise security tools available to us to prevent an attack like this happening.
It’s worth mentioning that we are independently Cyber Essentials Plus certified, and are physically tested yearly.
If you’re ready to talk about Cyber security, then get in touch with us. Cyber security is something we feel very passionately about as an IT support company. We care about keeping your business safe and functioning.
Contact our knowledgeable team now – call 01273 806211 or email hello@ingeniotech.co.uk
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