Ransomware encrypts your files and ask for payment in return
for a key to unlock your files. However, there is no guarantee that the said
key will work. Can your files survive an infection? Yes, provided that you have
the right backup strategy.
A Brief Overview
Ransomware is a type of malware that can lock you out of
your computer unless payment has been made. Although most criminals consider an
attack much like a typical transaction, there are a few ransomware authors who
seem to enjoy in making their victims suffer. There are victims who made the
payment but have nothing to decrypt since their files were already go to begin
with.
These days, there is an increasing number in attack vectors.
Plus, many criminals now disguise the ransomware in unvetted software and apps.
Sometimes, they are transmitted through spear-phishing attacks, wherein they
target people within an organization particularly those who have higher chances
of clicking on suspicious links.
Protect Your Backups
When your system has been compromised with ransomware, you
have the option to pay the ransom and cross your fingers that you can get your
files back. Or, you can also not pay and find ways to reconstruct your computerfrom your backups. The first option is a bit problematic due to logical,
financial, ethical, and moral reasons. Fortunately, there are steps you can
take to help make sure that you can recover effortlessly from a ransomware
attack.
Three Guiding Principles
Always assume that ransomware will delete or encrypt
everything you can access from your PC.
In case you back up to an external or internal hard drive
that is always connected to your computer, or the cloud, think that those files
are dead. They are just of value for a more conventional or old fashioned
disaster such as a hard drive failure. There is nothing wrong with this kind of
back up for conventional threats, however, it should not be your only line of defence
to help you protect your data.
Disconnect your backup from your network.
A great weapon that you can use against ransomware is to use
a backup media that you could air gap, which means it is totally disconnected
from the internet and the computer. For instance, in case you back up to an
external hard drive, just connect it during your regular scheduled back up. Once
done, disconnect it again right away. Your local storage drive must not be kept
attached to the network. By doing so, your backups will unlikely be encrypted once
the ransomware executable is loaded to the network.
Rely on the versioning.
Even if you immediately disconnect the external drive, there
is still no guarantee that it will be protected. It’s because your system may
already have an infection with malware if you run a backup. Versioning is an
important method that you can use to make sure that you can recover from a
ransomware attack. It is helpful to use a backup tool that works by saving
several timestamped versions of your many files. Once you restore your computer,
you will have the option of going back as far as possible, at a time before
your files were infected.
Call SpartanTec, Inc. in Columbia and let our team set up a comprehensive data backup and recovery strategy for your business.
SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/
cities served:
Columbia, West Columbia, Cayce, St Andrews, Lexington, Oak Grove
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