How To Protect Against Ransomware In 2020 (Forbes Magazine)
Author Credit: Ryan Weeks, Forbes Technology Council
Over the last decade, technology has evolved at an unprecedented rate, impacting and improving almost every part of our lives, both at home and at work.
However, one area where technology has hit a roadblock is solving the problem of ransomware. Research by Bitdefender finds that ransomware attacks have increased by more than 74% from the first half of 2018 to the first half of 2019.
Ransomware is malicious software used by hackers to deny access to data, systems or other crucial business assets, typically by encrypting data and files to make them unreadable until a ransom is paid. Hackers attack where they believe there is a large system footprint, valuable data and individuals willing to pay to regain access to their data and networks.
Attacks have become so common that it’s no longer a question of if an organization will be attacked, but rather when and to what extent. As ransomware threats increase and become more complex, they are often devastating to the businesses they attack.
The bottom line is that ransomware is damaging for any business because it causes costly downtime, often bringing the ability to conduct even basic IT-related tasks, such as accessing a file or sending an email, to a standstill. All hope is not lost, however, as organizations can explore new defense strategies to limit both the likelihood and impact of an attack.