Although cybercrime has been a concern for business owners for at least two decades now, the rise in ransomware attacks over the past few years should sound an alarm for computer security professionals. Ransomware is a type of computer virus that essentially locks a user out of their computer or network. Once a ransomware attack has been initiated, a cybercriminal will usually require payment from the victim to regain access to the ransomed data.

If you run any type of business that connects to the Internet, you need to take steps to protect your company and its data. Below are some tips to protect your business from ransomware attacks:

Don’t Open Email Attachments From Unknown Senders

Email attachments are often used by hackers to gain access to networks. A hacker may create a ransomware virus and include it in a file attachment that installs the virus when the attachment is opened. To protect yourself and your network, never click on attachments from unknown senders. If you’re in doubt about an email attachment that has been sent to your work email address, the best thing to do is to ask your IT department for guidance.

Use a Strong Password

Using a strong password can sometimes stop a ransomware attack before a virus has a chance to get introduced to your network. A strong password usually consists of a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Strong passwords are also passwords that do not include common words or names. You should consider changing your passwords once every six months at the very least. This can thwart cybercriminals who gain access to lists of passwords by hacking databases.

Backup Your Data

Despite your best efforts, the potential for becoming the victim of a ransomware attack is very real. To mitigate the damage if you do become a victim, it’s a good idea to back up your files regularly. Disaster recovery solutions are also good to have available, and these services don’t have to be just for local files. Disaster recovery for Amazon Web Services can help if your AWS files get caught in a ransomware attack, and disaster recovery for Amazon Web Services can also restore multiple versions of affected files to make sure you get the right copy.

Author Resource:-

Emily Clarke writes about tech, online education, programming lessons and more. You can find her thoughts at automated failback blog.