This blog post may be the most important article you read today. It discusses a sensitive subject you cannot ignore. In fact, it may save you thousands of dollars. We’re talking about ransomware. Now you may think that ransomware isn’t an overwhelming problem, but unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In today’s digital world, businesses across Canada are experiencing more and more cyberattacks every year, with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) reporting 30 million accounts affected by breaches between 2019-2020, a figure that’s double the previous year.

If there is one thing technology consultants, cybersecurity experts and industry pundits agree on, it’s that ransomware is a severe threat for businesses of all sizes. Let’s look at some immediate actions you can take to protect your small business from ransomware threats.

Tip #1 - Educate Your Employees on the Threats of Ransomware

Cybercriminals do not care if you are a multi-billion dollar business, a global corporation, a healthcare organization, or a local government office. Ransomware treats every company equally. Since most phishing emails target individuals, educating your employees is your first line of defense. Teach your employees how to recognize threats and instruct them on the steps to take if they do identify a suspicious email. Your employees also need to know what to do to protect their computers, tablets and smartphones if those devices are used to access the company network.

Tip #2 - Invest in the Right Cybersecurity Solutions

Antivirus and other cybersecurity solutions are common and plentiful. There are legacy applications that do not recognize or adapt to modern threats. Investigate multiple solutions and determine the solutions that work best for your business. Depending on the type of network your company has, cybersecurity solutions can vary in configuration and costs. On-premise solutions often require hardware and software components. If you use cloud-based hosting or data storage services, your cloud provider will provide cybersecurity solutions as part of your subscription.

Tip #3 - Make Business Continuity a Priority

Ransomware attacks lock you and your employees out of your system until you pay the ransom to the cybercriminal. These applications insert viruses into your network and then extract data and infect your entire network. Remediating ransomware viruses can take months and cost thousands of dollars. The best defense is implementing a regular data backup routine and using a data recovery service to bring your network back online as fast as possible. A competent cybersecurity services firm will provide a menu of options to implement data backup processes.

Tip #4 - Have the Right Outsourced Company

Not every managed services provider has ransomware experience since cybersecurity experts are hard-to-find and expensive to hire. Ask your service provider how many cybersecurity experts they have and what types of certifications and experience they have. Your outsourced company can also provide antivirus software, data backup and recovery services. They can also help you meet compliance reporting regulations if your company does suffer a ransomware attack or data breach.

Coleman Technologies provides a full range of cybersecurity services to protect your business from ransomware and other business threats. Our engineers offer 24/7 monitoring and instant emergency notifications. Visit our website or call us at (604) 513-9428.