You can protect your company’s data from things like viruses and malware through very specialized pieces of software. While some of this software may also help you prevent ransomware, none of it can provide you with 100% protection. That’s why the FBI offers up the following eight suggestions.
#1 – Create Backups
If you don’t have complete data backups for your business, ransomware could effectively end it. These thieves steal your company’s data and hold it hostage until you pay a ransom. If you have backups of that data, your daily operations can continue while you work with the FBI to resolve the security breach.
#2 – Regularly Analyze Your Risk
Cyber risk analysis is a great way to see where you may have vulnerabilities in your network. It gives you the opportunity to fix things before they get out of hand, and it can keep pesky crooks far away from your data, making it relatively impossible to target you.
#3 – Train Your Staff Appropriately and Regularly
Everyone who has any access at all to your company’s data should be well trained in spotting and handling incoming cybersecurity attacks. They should fully understand the best ways to minimize vulnerability, too. Regular training is important since threats and prevention methods are constantly changing.
#4 – Patch Network Holes
If your risk analysis returns any potential vulnerability issues, fix them right away. It doesn’t take long for criminals to find them, and putting it off could end up costing you dearly.
#5 – Whitelist Applications
When you whitelist only certain applications to run on your network, you can prevent many external threats to your network. Limiting your employees’ access to certain outbound programs and applications is a very smart move, and one that could save your company plenty of money.
#6 – Create a Response Plan
In the event of a cyber-attack, your company should know how to respond immediately. Go over things like protocols and contact numbers, and make sure everyone knows what to do. It’s also a great idea to exercise it with regular drills.
#7 – Develop a Business Continuity Plan
If your company became the victim of ransomware tomorrow, what would happen? Could you continue in operations, or would you be effectively shut down until your data was retrieved? Creating a business continuity plan helps to ensure that you can keep operating – even under dire circumstances.
#8 – Test Your Own Security
Finally, it’s vital to test your own systems and see just what it takes to penetrate them. While it may seem silly to try to hack into your own network, it’s always a great idea. It lets you know what’s possible and what really isn’t, and it gives you ammunition that comes in handy when you defend against those attacks.
Although there’s no single method or piece of software that completely guarantees your protection against ransomware, the eight steps above can certainly help you make better decisions. Remember that regular testing and maintenance is always the best prevention against hackers, thieves, and criminals.
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