It’s become all too common for organizations to suffer cyber attacks.. Just look at the recent global ransomware attack, WannaCry, which has impacted companies across the globe. Hackers are demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin and companies are often paying. In fact, in 2021, 37% of all businesses have been hit by ransomware attacks like WannaCry.
So what can you do if your business gets hacked? It’s vital that you take the necessary steps to remediate the issue quickly before you lose your sensitive data. Some of the things you can do include:
- Isolate the affected systems from your network
- Update all of your software and operating systems
- Backup all of your critical files and data
- Do not pay the ransom demand
Let’s look at each of these in detail below.
Isolate the Affected Systems from Your Network
First, isolate the affected devices from your network. This ensures that malware or bad actors can’t access devices connected to the affected system.
Next, identify all systems and software that were compromised on the isolated system(s). In some cases, patching software and removing viruses using anti-malware might be enough. If not? Hopefully you have a good backup (we’ll get to this in a moment.
Update All of Your Software and Operating Systems
As you already know, ransomware and other malware can spread through systems that are not properly updated and patched.
Be sure to always update your software applications from your operating system to your anti-virus and more. You never know which app can become a weak point in your security chain.
Note that many experts recommend letting systems perform security updates automatically, if possible.
Back Up All of Your Critical Files and Data
As noted, there are times where a backup is your only hope of not just restoring data, but of getting systems back up and running following an attack. Ensure that you backup all of your files and data regularly so you have more options should a system fall victim to malware, ransomware, or other malicious attacks.
Get Cyber Security Insurance
Every business needs business insurance and many policies now include protection from cyber attack. Though you should never pay ransom demands if you can help it, it’s surprisingly common for businesses to pay ransoms should ransomware lock up their systems. Typically, this is done via an insurance provider. If you absolutely have no choice, cyber security insurance can help.
Use DataLocker’s Cloud Security Solutions to Avert Hacking
Effective cloud security has been proven to help companies save up to $700,000 that hacking and ransomware would otherwise cost them. If you’re looking for ways to add protection to cloud-based data storage systems, you might consider SafeCrypt, which allows you to encrypt data in a virtual drive, then store it anywhere you wish–including a third-party cloud. Check out this page for more information.