You may have heard about the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company – one of the largest gas pipelines in the country – and the resulting shortage of gas, diesel, jet fuel, etc. sweeping 18 states and Washington, DC over the last couple of days. 

If you’re thinking, “My company is small. No one will target me in a ransomware attack,” think again.

Companies of all sizes and technical prowess are vulnerable to ransomware attacks, and small businesses are arguably the easiest group to exploit. The question is, how much damage could a ransomware attack cause for you, your business, and your clients? 

So far in 2021, businesses are racking up damages of more than $350 million due to ransomware attacks; a 300% increase from last year.

And if you’re a Windows user – watch out. Jaya Baloo, CIO at Avast Software, pointed out that ransomware thieves are actively targeting companies that run on Windows OS.

But, hope is not lost. 

We’re here today to give you some protective measures you can implement now to suit up against ransomware (and any other type of attack, for that matter). Try this: 

• Use endpoint protection software to block attacks.
• Do systems and data backups all. the. time. If anything happens, you’ll be able to restore everything you need to run your business.
• Educate your employees. So many attacks, ransomware included, start with someone clicking dirty links. Don’t let it be one of your employees.
• Training helps. Seriously. We offer free phishing tests + security training that’s powerful, current, and doesn’t involve 25 hours of death by PowerPoint – you should check it out! 

We’d love to hear from you! What questions can we answer for you about ransomware or security in general? Hit Reply and let us know! 

In the meantime, get that endpoint protection in place, those backups done, and that employee training knocked out. Ready, set, go!