This month, we wrote a blog post on Ransomware 32, a ransom virus that is similar to the Cryptolocker Virus. We have also seen the Le Chiffre virus infecting businesses. We have had many customers and potential customers seek our help or advice on all of these viruses. The problem is not going away.
We cannot stress enough how serious this is for every business. Although, the thought of someone infecting your computer network and demanding a ransom sounds crazy, it is very real and happens much more often that you could imagine. We have seen cases of customers being faced with payments in the thousands of dollars, in order to retrieve all of their files.
Before we talk about what you should do, let’s stress what you should not do and pass this information on to ALL of your employees:
- Do not download any file or browse any site that you don’t completely trust. Much of this ransomware is being distributed through emails that look like an express delivery email or receipt of an online payment. One of our customers opened an infected website, thus infecting his business’ whole computer network.
- Keep all of your antivirus up to date.
- Complete all backups and keep them current. If possible, invest in BDR, the best and safest way to ensure your data can be restored. With a BDR, your system can be back up in 15 minutes, otherwise it could be days to recover.
- Only use safe and trusted browsers.
Now, what do you do if you are infected?
- Contact your IT specialist immediately. This is something an IT specialist or Managed Services Provider knows and is familiar in handling in the most efficient way possible.
- Do not pay the ransom. Contact your IT specialist before attempting to pay any ransom. Even paying a ransom does not ensure that you will not be infected again by the same perpetrator or that all of your files will be recovered.
Remember, we keep current tips in our tech tip blog posts. We strongly encourage you to read them and pass them on to your employees.
