Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data on infected systems then demands a ransom payment to release the decryption key. Ransomware attacks are on the rise and can result in significant data loss and downtime for businesses. However, companies can take steps to protect themselves from ransomware attacks.

Cactus Technology Solutions can help your business protect itself from ransomware attacks with our comprehensive security solutions. We offer risk-based vulnerability management, compliance scanning, penetration testing, and breach attack simulation (BAS) tools to help you identify and mitigate vulnerabilities that ransomware attackers could exploit. We also offer endpoint protection solutions to help protect your systems from infection and email security solutions to help protect your email communications from ransomware threats. 

Ransomware often comes as a total surprise to businesses everywhere. You think you’re just going to go about your day and all of a sudden boom! Your data is being held hostage by criminals who want to extort money from you for its release. Cactus Technology Solutions has come up with some tips on how business owners can prevent ransomware attacks from happening. 

1. Backups, backups, BACKUPS! 

Now, this isn’t a new concept at all. Most businesses have some backup system in place and know that they should be using it on their computers and servers. You might not realize that there are two types of backups: Full Backup and Incremental Backup. A full backup is a complete image of the entire system, whereas an incremental backup only includes changes since the last full or incremental backup was created. These are set to run at specific intervals, but you might not realize that if you have persisted data on your computer or server, these backups will likely fail as they look for files that don’t exist. The backup files need to be appropriately protected and stored either offline or out-of-band so that these attackers cannot get to them. Your backups are only as good as your persistent data, and it doesn’t matter if you have a great backup program in place if there’s no way to restore anything because the underlying data isn’t adequately protected. Cactus Technology Solutions can help your business migrate to cloud services to help migrate a ransomware infection. 

2. Secure Endpoints 

When you’re building your systems, ensure you have security in the forefront of your mind. Secure configuration can help limit your business’s threat, and hardening your endpoints can close security gaps from their default configuration. Your business’s endpoint defense strategy needs to detect threats early on, neutralizing them before they have the chance to put your assets at risk. 

3. Keep Systems Up to Date 

As a business owner, it’s essential to keep your systems up to date to prevent ransomware attacks. Cactus Technology Solutions can help you with that by providing regular updates and patches for your systems. We can also help you set up auto-updates so you’ll always have the latest security patches. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help keep your business safe from ransomware attacks. 

4. Train the Team 
Beyond backups, hardening endpoints, and keeping systems up to date, the most critical component to keeping your business safe from ransomware is to train your team. When your employees can spot and avoid these attacks, everyone plays an essential role in the business. Security awareness training can teach your employees or co-workers what to look out for in an email before clicking on the link or downloading an attachment. 

Cactus Technology Solutions is here to help! We can provide security awareness training to help your employees stay safe from ransomware attacks. This training can teach your employees how to spot and avoid potential ransomware threats, and it’s an integral part of keeping your business safe. 

5. Response

The post-incident response to a ransomware attack is ultimately something every business owner and IT team should have in place. These plans need to include the IT team and both internal and external staff. Everyone needs to be on the same page. The first step for a response plan is to identify what has changed, including looking for files that are now encrypted or modified. This is where having an up-to-date backup can come into play. After identifying the breach, you need to start forensically analyzing your system to determine where the attack originated. Finally, you need to implement your incident response plan, potentially blocking the attacker’s IP address or shutting down any infected machines if they were part of a botnet. 

The post-incident response to a ransomware attack is a proactive solution that every business should have in place. This process will not only help your employees and IT staff prepare for a spell, but it can also provide the expertise needed during a crisis to get your systems back up and running as soon as possible.

Cactus Technology Solutions offers post-incident response plans to help your business recover from a ransomware attack and prepare for future episodes. If you need post-incident response plans or cyber security consulting, contact Cactus Technology Solutions today to learn more about our top-quality providers and how we can keep your business safe from malware threats. With our help, you can rest assured that your business is safer from ransomware attacks. Contact us today to learn more about our security awareness training by our top quality providers and how we can help keep your business safe from ransomware attacks. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your business.

Introducing Michele Kirkland

Our CEO Amy Milam and the newest Client Solutions Executive Michele Kirkland met with John Boggan with Evolve IP this month! They discussed Evolve IP’s newest core products over coffee and had a great visit. We are so grateful for our wonderful partnerships!