CCNnews

Ransomware – Find your weakest Link

Let’s just take a few moments to think about the latest Cyber Attack on our beloved NHS…of course it wasn’t only the NHS that was hit, multiple companies across the globe were affected.  Before the attack, we had all heard whispers about something called ransomware but most people didn’t really spend much time worrying about it.  It’s that old chestnut (It won’t happen to me).  It’s always the case that everyone jumps up and down once something like this happens and phones are buzzing with businesses wanting to know… are we covered? How much does it cost to be covered?

The reality is we can’t simply upload a piece of software onto your system and bingo your covered and the criminals won’t get in. It’s a little more complicated than that.  Technology being what it is, it does have weaknesses and the weakest Link may in fact be working for you

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware and once it is on your system it prevents you from accessing your files until you pay a ransom.  Ransomware has been around for a while now and attacks have been on the increase since 2015, it is one of the biggest sources of income for Cyber Criminals and 54% of business in the UK have already been hit.  They have a phenomenal success rate and that’s because they exploit your weakest link – YOUR EMPLOYEES.
It’s just an email

Most ransomware attacks come in to your business network through emails.  We regularly received emails that we don’t really recognise and we are all guilty of thinking, shall I open it? I wonder is it important? Could it be of value to the company?     This is exactly what the Criminals want us to think.  CLICK/RUN and they are in…

First Line of Defence

Your employees are your first line of defence so Educate them, set them rules and operate a strict policy on opening emails and running programs that they do not immediately recognise especially FREE software from sites that are unknown to the company and do not open unsolicited emails.  If you don’t open the door – they can’t get in.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

We can make rules and set policies and this is absolutely what we should do, but rules are made to be broken and people make mistakes its human nature, so we need to make sure that if the criminals get in and start sniffing around your network, damage limitation to your business will be minimal and you will be up and running quickly.  Having a clean up to date backup is essential as well as keeping antivirus software up to date and doing regular software updates, make a Business Continuity plan and be ready if disaster strikes.

Backup your data OFFSITE – Last Line of Defence

A lot of business still use tapes to backup – This is very unreliable; they can get corrupt and be wiped very easily and most of them are attached to the network ALARM BELLS…   Backups need to be run regularly and they also need to be verified regularly and everything on your network should be backed up OFFSITE.  Best advice is to run regular backups which are saved offsite and away from your network so that the cyber criminals have no opportunity to hold you to ransom for your data.  Taking automated controlled backups which are verified regularly is the best way to guarantee your data files are safe and can be restored quickly.

At CCN we use StorageCraft Technologies as part of our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery solutions. StorageCraft are a market leader in Disaster Recovery solutions which backup your data, replicate offsite and allow you to recover your data either as physical or virtual machines or simply recover the encrypted data.  At CCN we have inhouse accredited StorageCraft Master Engineers, so piece of mind is only a phone call away.

If you are concerned about the latest Cyber-attacks and would like some advice on how to make your business network safe and secure please simply get in touch either by email at support@ccnlimited.com or simply give our offices a call on 01738 506070.