Tips for Avoiding Ransomware Attacks for Your Business

Ransomware attacks are on the rise, but that doesn’t mean your business needs to panic. The good news is that there are modern solutions to deal with the tricks that hackers frequently use. Ransomware is something you should take seriously, approaching the problem proactively and protecting your company. You’re not helpless to keep your records safe.

Why Are Ransomware Attacks Happening So Frequently?

A common misconception is that the internet is a lawless, crazy place. Some news media go so far as to compare it to the Wild West. This is far from the truth. While criminals are active, by and large businesses are having success protecting themselves. Today’s companies have access to state-of-the-art tools that yesterday’s companies could only dream of. The question isn’t “when is my company going to be the victim of an attack,” but “what can I do to make sure my business is safe against ransomware attacks?”

How Can You Prevent Ransomware Attacks?

A good strategy for safeguarding your business’s digital assets and records involves many areas. Typically, ransomware actors target the weakest link in any organization. Generally speaking, this involves the human component: employees.

Educate Staff Members

Training is vital to prevent your staff members from revealing sensitive documents or falling victim to ransomware traps. Phishing campaigns are often the first step in a hacker gaining access to your company’s database. These attacks happen by sending email links that look genuine but are false. When one of your employees clicks the link, they’re redirected to a different site where they enter their credentials and unwittingly give information to hackers. Or the link may install a keylogging program or other harmful piece of code on the target’s computer.

Well-educated employees can be trained to avoid these traps. For example, your company should have a policy in place prohibiting or deactivating all links received in company emails. Instead, staff members should be trained to reach out directly to the person or department they need to contact.

Isolate Browsing Activity and Key Systems

A key step to stopping ransomware in its tracks is to isolate your business’s browsing activity from company servers. This is easier said than done for large businesses that coordinate projects virtually, but it’s possible with the right software.

Another method is known as ransomware isolation. This type of technology helps you contain ransomware in smaller areas rather than allowing it to spread throughout your company’s servers. That way, while one employee may lose access to a single project being worked on, your organization’s critical infrastructure stays safe.

These micro-segmentation options deliver impressive security to complex business systems. Usually, they’re customized to the specific needs of your business to ensure that your operations keep going smoothly while providing a solid guard against ransomware attacks.

Involve Human Intelligence Where Possible

Antivirus software provides an impressive record of preventing ransomware attacks, but it’s not always flexible enough to cover business vulnerabilities completely. Small businesses may be able to find an antivirus solution with strong anti-ransomware options, but the larger your operations are, the greater the need for an extra layer of protection. Often, this means having a human pair of eyes on things.

In the past, it was common for corporations to have an in-house security team. These days, many businesses are outsourcing security to professionals that stay up to date with changing trends in internet security and MDR. This type of managed ransomware protection may cost more than an organization-wide antivirus program, but the protection provided may be more flexible and deep.

News of big breaches is alarming. That said, they’re not as common as some people would have you believe. Technology solutions are doing an excellent job of safeguarding businesses around the world.