You’ve heard the stories of companies being attacked by a cryptovirus that shut down their computers. They were told to pay a ransom, usually with bitcoins, or their system would not work again. They called the police, who referred them to the FBI. They couldn’t help. For many companies, their only resort was to pay the ransom.
Not everyone. Some companies were able to locate where the attack came in and isolate that part of the system. With a good back up they were running again pretty quickly with no ransom paid. Which one is you?
IT Security experts say the first step to prevent the attack is how you train the people in your company to use IT. Do they know when they should not open links or attachments? Have you tested them? Some IT departments train, then test their folks by sending a fake phishing email. Anyone who opens the link get a visit from the IT department and retraining. This is serious business and the IT departments are treating it as such.
Also critical is how you structure your IT Hardware. I’m suggesting that you get a review by an outsider to see if what you have will withstand today’s attacks and maybe help you prevent one in the future.
On your own personal computer, do you have at least 2 antivirus programs? And, do you update all your programs whenever you get a notice from Apple or Microsoft to do so?
I know it is a pain, but most people don’t leave their front door or their car unlocked. And, many people have alarms and security cameras on their houses. Isn’t your IT just as important?
photo courtesy of tech guru.uk