Ransomware is a serious threat for small businesses. Basically, ransomware is a form of malicious software that is designed to block access to the company’s computer systems or its data files until a specified ransom amount is paid to the extortionist.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released security tips to help safeguard small businesses against ransomware attacks. Here are the steps that can be taken by small business owners to limit their exposure to a ransomware attack. And, if by any chance the company is exposed to such an attack, the detriment is limited.
- Backup your systems often
Criminals that use ransomware to get money from companies will exploit the lack of a backup of the company’s information. This lack of backed up data increase the likelihood that the victim company will be willing to make a payment. To completely avoid this, it’s essential to regularly backup all of the systems and data within the organization. One way to keep up with this chore is to have backups automatically happen on a weekly (or even daily!) basis so you don’t have to think about doing it.
- Educate your employees
The easiest way to fall victim to a ransomware attack is to be unaware of what an attack may be enabled by, such as falling victim to an email phishing scam. That’s why it’s so important to continue to educate your employees on what that attack may look like and the detriment that it could cause to the company if it were to happen.
- Create an incident response plan
Taking steps to limit your company’s exposure to a ransomware attack is a great start, but it would be incredibly unwise to just stop there with only that step. You have to think about the possible outcomes if an attack were to happen. Does your company have a plan in place, ahead of time, that will help keep the integrity of your business after a ransomware attack? Do you know what your cyber liability insurance policy says when it comes to a payout on a ransomware attack? These things are essential to address if you want to minimize the damage done.
LibertyID is the leader in identity theft restoration, having restored the identities of tens of thousands of individuals without fail. If you retain personal information on your customers, now it is the time to get data breach planning and a response program in place with our LibertyID for Small Business data breach preparation program. With LibertyID Enterprise you can now add value to existing products, services, or relationships by covering your customers, employees, or members with LibertyID’s fully managed identity theft restoration service—at a fraction of our retail price—with no enrollment and no file sharing. We have no direct communication with your group members–until they need us.
Call us now for a no obligation proposal at 844-411-LIBERTY (844-411-5423).