This article was updated on October 3, 2020.
Every 14 seconds, a business around the world is hit by a ransomware attack[1]. While this form of cyber threat was traditionally targeted toward consumers, over the last few years tides have shifted—with businesses accounting for 81 percent of such attacks, according to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report[2].
Given these statistics, it makes sense that ransomware is one of the more common forms of cyber attacks we see in our line of work. Too often, companies come to us after a breach has taken place—when data is already encrypted, and the demand for payment already made. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the damage while avoiding paying off the bad guys—but to do so effectively, you need to be prepared. Many organizations find out the hard way the damage that such attacks can do, and often underestimate the impact of a total or partial shutdown of their operations.
What is ransomware?
Ransomware is malicious software that can penetrate your company’s network and data. For your systems to work again, a ransom will be demanded, but complying with the demand doesn’t come with a guarantee.
