IT Tips & Tricks

Published 1 March 2022

Wartime Ransomware: Heightened Alert

AdobeStock_80527979-BannerV2

As the Russian military invades Ukraine, the US government is calling for state and private sector organizations to be on heightened alert against ransomware, particularly considering US economic sanctions being declared against Russia.

While US officials have stated that there are currently “no specific, credible” threats, they nonetheless caution vigilance. As the chokehold on Russia’s economy strengthens, the odds of reprisals increase.

We’ve outlined various ransomware approaches in a couple of recent articles. “Cloud Security and the Email from Hell” offers some strategic tips beyond customary security measures and firewalls. “Who Doesn’t Have a Beef with Ransomware?” poses the question, “Is ransomware really a threat?”

As the chokehold on Russia’s economy strengthens, the odds of reprisals increase.

The answer? “The bottom line is that if you have data stored somewhere, like it or not, you’re a ransomware candidate. If you or anyone in your company uses email, you’re a ransomware candidate. And if you don’t have any form of security insurance, updated security measures or a backup plan, you may as well send out invitations to the crooks, because statistically, there’s a high probability they’re going to show up, sooner or later: the ultimate unwanted guest.”

Do the following:

  • Consider getting cybersecurity insurance. Your exact situation and the cost of this coverage relative to your level of risk are the two broad factors to evaluate when determining how much coverage to purchase.
  • Periodically check for security holes or weaknesses in your applications.
hacker-undeground

In the current climate, it would be unwise not to anticipate an increase in malware and ransomware.

  • Keep your employees and contractors trained on how to spot phishing attempts.
  • Create a playbook that covers every eventuality in case of an attack. Store it offline.
  • Store critical phone numbers and email addresses offline.
  • Have up-to-date backups of your system. Make sure they’re tested and functioning. And store them offline. Consider offsite backups that are separate from your network and your Cloud account.
  • Conduct periodic test restores of your backups. You may be surprised sometimes that something doesn’t restore for you. Don’t wait until you need to restore some data to find out something is wrong with either the backup itself or the restore methodology.

The primary goal — at virtually any cost — is the protection of your data from a disruptive and expensive ransomware attack.

Chaos Avoidance

As a busy IT professional, we understand that apart from security issues, you also deal with migrations from time to time. Data migrations, including Cloud migrations, are a necessity of modern life. We also know that data loss due to broken file links has the potential to cause chaos in terms of downtime, complaining users and decidedly unimpressed bosses. If you’d like your migration to conclude as smoothly as possible, with zero data loss due to broken links, feel free to talk to a knowledgeable Service Consultant at 727-442-1822 or visit www.LinkTek.com for more information.

If you don’t have any form of security insurance, updated security measures or a backup plan, you may as well send out invitations to the crooks.

Feel free to share this article on your social media: