Ransomware Protection

Most companies spend the majority of their energy focusing on day-to-day tasks like meeting sales goals, fulfilling customer requests, and keeping fulfillment systems moving smoothly. However, there’s another priority that should be near the top of your business’ priority list: protecting against malware like ransomware.

As the state of cyber crime continues to evolve in new and sophisticated ways, today’s ransomware is more advanced than ever before. Gone are the days of simple file encryption; modern ransomware leverages complex variants and file-less techniques, making attacks harder to detect and more lethal than ever before.

Safeguarding against all the different kinds of ransomware is a must for every business, but staying up to date on new forms of attacks and consistently working to prepare for them isn’t as easy as it sounds. Luckily, Shock I.T. Support is here to do the heavy lifting. We’re ransomware experts and we understand what it takes to keep businesses safe. If you want to stay protected without investing significant in-house resources to ransomware prevention, we’ll always have you covered.

What Is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a form of malware that uses lines of code to take over a computer or network and essentially hold it hostage until a ransom is provided. Effectively a digital form of digital kidnapping, ransomware can be a costly problem that compromises both productivity and financial security.

When ransomware takes over, your computer or network access becomes essentially unusable. Some ransomware simply blocks access to your systems until the ransom is paid, while others destroy user data if payments aren’t made in full or by a cutoff time. For companies, this can be devastating, disrupting workflow and potentially compromising important customer and financial data.

Some forms of malware can be stumbled upon by accident, like by downloading a fraudulent program from a suspicious email attachment, but ransomware is often targeted. Most cybercriminals will use ransomware to go after smaller organizations that do not have adequate security resources. They may also target businesses that hold sensitive information, like law firms, or organizations that are incentivized to pay very quickly, like banks or medical facilities.

Small businesses may not seem like popular targets for ransomware, but this isn’t always true. Due to the assumption that these companies won’t have adequate protective measures in place to fend off an attack, some cybercriminals use ransomware specifically to target smaller operations.

Kinds of Ransomware

Ransomware is actually an overarching category of malware rather than one specific kind of cyber attack. Ransomware can come in numerous different forms, including:

• Cryptoransomware: A form of ransomware that encrypts files, folders, and drives until a ransom is paid, usually in cryptocurrency.
• Lockers: Rather than encypting data, lockers lock users out of their computers or devices, making it impossible to access applications or files. Lockers are most common on Android-based smartphones but can be found on computers, too.
• Scareware: Scareware refers to fake software that acts legitimate in order to solicit payments, like an antivirus software that claims to have found malware and requires payment to fix the problem. Some scareware blocks system access while others flood the screen with annoying popups.
• Doxware: Also known as extortionware or leakware, doxware attacks threaten to publish private information online unless a ransom is paid. This method can be very effective for those who have confidential information stored on their machines.
• Ransomware as a Service (RaaS): RaaS is a criminal twist on Software as a Service. Web users who wish to attack others can purchase RaaS solutions and launch cyberattacks with very little computer knowledge.

Ransomware Protection Services

Ransomware can be a frightening reality, but you don’t have to let it stand in your way. With ransomware protection for businesses from Shock I.T. Support, you can get the help you need to prevent cyber attacks before they occur.

We understand the changing face of the cybersecurity world and we know what it takes to maintain best practices to fight back against malware. Shock I.T. Support can implement a comprehensive strategy to stop ransomware in its tracks, using a combination of security software, threat monitoring, regular software and system updates, cloud-based data backups, and other techniques to keep your company from falling victim. In addition, we can teach your team tips and tricks to decrease the likelihood of walking into a trap, like avoiding suspicious sites or email attachments.