4 Ways to Protect Your Data from a Ransomware Attack

Photo by Michael Geiger on Unsplash

 

Hadn’t it been for technology, the world would have been a completely different place. If you talk to any business owner out there, you will come across each of them worrying about their data. The FBI research claims, around 4000 computer systems are affected by ransomware attacks every day, which means that this problem is becoming more chronic. Back in 2019, the US alone was affected by ransomware attacks so much that hackers earned a staggering $7.5 billion in income. Even though such attacks were cut short by 20%, there has been an exponential increase in these attacks in the last few years. The most intriguing thing to note about the ransomware attacks is, they are carried out to gather information from the academic institutions, healthcare sector, and government agencies.

So a ransomware attack is no longer associated with the intention of earning money only. If you want to protect your computer system from a ransomware attack, it is crucial for you to prepare your system for it. Try to introduce the concept of incident response breach in your organization to tackle such a situation. Here, in this blog, we will discuss a few ways through which you can protect your organization from a ransomware attack.

  1. Install Security Software

The first and most convenient thing to do is to install top-notch antivirus software in your system. Gone are the days when antivirus software was only used to curate the system from popups and hacking attempts. Modern antivirus software is capable of protecting your computer system from phishing attacks and ransomware. However, before you decide to install any particular software, it is imperative for you to read the customer reviews. This way, you will be able to weigh the pros and cons of its different features.

  1. Email Verification

If you are skeptical about an email that you’ve just received, it is best to get in touch with the sender directly through a phone call. For example, if you have received an email from a top-notch company in town, you can call them instead of replying to the email. Sift through the old emails to consider the veracity of your new email. Secondly, train your employees about keeping away from phishing emails. Even a minor mistake of a naïve employee can cost you millions of dollars. So whenever you hire a new employee, it is crucial for you to train them about the right usage of the computer system.

  1. Perform Regular Backups

Instead of trusting a single computer system in the entire office, it is better to divide the information into several platforms. For example, you can choose to dissect your information and store it on several computers and USB devices. This way, if sensitive data of the business is stolen, you will easily be able to get backup of all your data. Secondly, make sure that the hard drive where you store all the business data isn’t readily available for everyone. Please don’t overlook the cybersecurity training because it can protect your business from any such damage in the future.

  1. Protect Your Sensitive Information

Never store your passwords, digital documents, and personal details on the computer system. Even if you take the company’s laptop back home, despise storing family pictures and sensitive data on the computer. Because most of the office work entails a strong connection with the internet, you never know when a hacker might enter your system through a link or any source. Whenever you sift through a new website, always run the double-check encryption to protect your computer system. Use a USB device to store sensitive information and don’t plug it in several computer systems, otherwise, it might contract different viruses.

 

Zoltán is a self-taught publisher and events organizer who has developed several brands and services that have increased the notoriety of his company within multi-billion dollar industries. In 2018, he has become a TEDx speaker and talked about reputation management in the digital era. As Co-Founder of HIPTHER Agency, Zoltan has helped develop highly respected online news portals, virtual and in-person conferences that cater to multiple industries on 5 continents. Among the developed brands and services you can find online news portals that cover several tech industries, gaming, blockchain, fintech, artificial intelligence, and more. In parallel, the company has built a portfolio of annually organized boutique-style conferences in Europe and North America. All the events organized by his company focus on bringing a wealth of information about the latest innovation in several industries such as Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports and many more. Zoltan enjoys writing articles on all portals owned by the HIPTHER Agency, talking at conferences, hosting the weekly HIPTHER Talks Podcast, and loves spending time with his family. Zoltan is a duathlete who enjoys training for different international competitions which include running and cycling.