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The Complete Ransomware Protection Guide for Small Businesses
The threat of cyberattacks should not be taken lightly by businesses. Experiencing a cyber-attack can have wide-ranging implications from loss of revenue, suspension of activities, and in many cases complete business closure. Today, Richard Everson explores the best ways to avoid a cyberattack and the steps to be taken in the event your business experiences one.
Taking Precautionary Measures
Human error is one of the prominent causes of cyberattacks. This can include opening phishing emails, clicking on suspicious links, or downloading files from malicious websites. Over the years, cybercriminals have become better at disguising attacks, hence it is important to educate employees on how to make informed decisions when using company devices and servers.
- Provide Cybersecurity Training: This can involve hiring professionals to conduct seminars regarding the best practices of cyber security. Employees can also be given assessments to test their preparedness for receiving malicious content.
- Mandate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): As reported by OneLogin, MFA is a verification process that makes the user confirm their identity before allowing access to accounts or data. The code can be generated using an app or sent to users via SMS.
Given the importance cybersecurity plays towards the survival of your business, consider delegating the responsibility to professionals who can install protective software on your devices, implement encryption protocols, help your business meet security compliance standards, and oversee the protection of your business 24/7.
Signs of a Cyberattack
Even with the best cyber security protocols in place, it’s important to stay vigilant and constantly monitor your systems for signs of attacks. Sudden changes in your website traffic and functionality can point to a possible cyberattack. If hackers get access to your servers, they may use them to store their files which could include stolen information, pirated content, etc. As a result, you should notice a considerable dip in your website load speed and traffic. Additionally, in some cases, you’ll be met with a Page Not Found – 404 Error. Unless the error is caused by your IT team while they’re working on the website, this is a clear indication of you being under a cyber-attack.
Here are two things you should do in immediate response to the attack:
- Contact your cybersecurity team who can then work on identifying what type of attack it is. As reported by the World Economic Forum, ransomware attacks are one of the prominent types of attacks aimed at businesses.
- Simultaneously work towards containing the breach to protect unaffected parts of your business systems. This can involve disconnecting affected servers from the internet, changing all passwords, and suspending employee access to systems.
The goal of hackers may not be to hit your system with a one-time attack. Rather they may seek to create backdoor access through which they can consistently access data and attack your systems. Hence, it is important to prioritize finding the source of the attack and reviewing all affected systems.
Managing the Aftermath
In the hours post-attack (or even better, before an attack occurs), work towards creating a recovery plan. This plan should include a list of appropriate steps to be taken for securing the system and resuming normal business operations. However, it’s important to be realistic in your expectations. Fully recovering from a cyberattack can take a couple of days to weeks, based on the severity of the damage.
Once you have isolated the affected systems and taken stock of stolen/damaged data, start the recovery process using your backups. At this point it’s important to ensure the machines you recover the data to are 100% secure. Additionally, identify which systems need to be recovered as a priority to minimize disruption caused to clients and your bottom line.
Moreover, work towards creating an after-action report that includes:
- The cause of the attack
- Insights on when it affected the system, and its complete impact
- Steps on how the attack could have been avoided
- Major learnings from the experience
This report will serve as a key document to re-train employees on cybersecurity and better prepare the business to avoid such instances in the future.
The threat of ransomware to businesses is higher than ever before. However, by following these steps, you’ll ensure your data remains protected at all times.
Richard Everson has decades of experience as a Growth Facilitator with AusIndustry’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme. If you have any questions, please email richard@richardeverson.net.