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How to Protect Your New Business from the Effects of Ransomware

As a small business owner, your time is limited and valuable, so when your computer suddenly and unexpectedly shuts off, you may be tempted to go ahead and pay the price when a message pops up on your screen that wants you to pay an unknown source a certain amount to regain access to your system. Malware, viruses, and other shady practices are nothing new, and since 2013, hackers realized they could take over computers, encrypt valuable files, and demand victims pay to get them back.

Today, ransomware comes in many frustrating varieties. While some versions still attack and encrypt certain files, other types take your entire hard drive hostage. What makes ransomware an even bigger obstacle to overcome than malware is that even after you remove the threat, your files may still remain encrypted. If you’re not prepared for an attack like this, ransomware can easily freeze and implicate your entire operation.

How can you keep Ransomware from taking over and ruining the goals, profitability, and operations of your business? Here are just a few simple things you can do to keep your business safe:

  • Train all staff members who use computers to avoid suspicious email links and attachments. Remember that these links often appear in emails carefully tailored to businesses or individuals, so they may initially seem legitimate.
  • Vulnerabilities in your computer system can leave your operations open to ransomware attacks. Patch up holes in your system by regularly agreeing to and applying software updates and agreements.
  • Having backups of your data can make all the difference between a hassle you can overcome and a complete information disaster. If you run an operation with several workstations connected to a server, you should not only back up your documents, but also servers and hard drives regularly.
  • The more servers and files ransomware can access, the more your business will be hurt in the event of an attack. Only allow staff members access to the files they need to do their work to prevent ransomware from potentially reaching your backups.

You want to do everything you can to protect your budding business operations from the threat of network vulnerabilities, like ransomware, and at John McCann and Associates, Inc., we’re here to help. Contact us today to find out how we can save you time, money, and frustration with our managed IT services.