4 Tips to Protect Your Business from a Ransomware Attack

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous computer malware out there, and if it infects any pc at your workplace, it can affect all the computers in no time and can compromise all your data. The malware attacks all the files on a computer and encrypts them.

The only way to decrypt those files is to pay the ransom amount to the attacker, which they normally ask in bitcoins. The last biggest ransomware attack was seen in 2017, where more than 200,000 computers became its victim.

In this article, I have mentioned a few useful tips to prevent a ransomware attack that you and all your employees should follow. Let’s have a look:

Install Antivirus on All the Computers

The first line of defense for computers is an antivirus. If you do not have decent antivirus software installed on all the computers in your workplace, then it means your business is more vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Especially if you are a small organization that is highly dependent on data.

Ransomware targets those businesses that will do anything to get their data back and are vulnerable as well. That is why you should make sure you have an antivirus installed on all the computers at the workplace as it can identify the threat and block it before it does any damage.

Avoid Any Suspicious Emails

Ransomware mostly spreads through spam emails. Normally you will get an email, which will imitate a well-known company you know and will ask you to download the attachment files. It is highly recommended that you avoid such files at all cost, and educate your employees about it.

Even if you think you are getting it from a trusted sender, do not click on it if it seems fishy or unexpected. Most of the attackers use phishing emails so that the email will look legit.

Download Only From A Reliable Source

Whether it is software, a video, or an excel file, always make sure that you are downloading your data from a reliable source. The best way to keep that in check is not to let your employees download stuff from any untrusted source.

If they need anything that is not available from a trusted source, they can always ask the concerned person to solve the issue for them. You should also ban downloading any torrents at your workplace as they have too many click baits on them and can lead you into a ransomware trap.

Create Regular Back-Ups for Your Data

You also need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If your data has been breached by ransomware, then you should have a way of recovering it.

It is highly recommended that you should create a backup of your data regularly to make sure that even if you decide not to pay the ransom, you will be able to recover a good chunk of the data. Also, you should back your data on cloud servers instead of local computers, because some ransomware can delete the backup data as well.