Defending
Hyper-availability
We hope you find our blog area of use, keep checking back to review useful posts and articles we will compile from our expertise and experiences.
From time to time our heroes will post articles about their experiences and give useful advice that can help guide you to a successful data backup strategy.
You can run and you can hide, but there’s no denying the rise of ransomware.
Since this type of malicious software was first seen, the number of attacks orchestrated by cyber criminals has increased in volume and sophistication. Now thought to be an industry worth billions of dollars, ransomware targets companies of all sizes and is often spread through phishing emails or by people unknowingly visiting infected websites.
No wonder it creates panic. Firstly, criminals take control of a victim’s computer before encrypting files and restricting access. Then the criminals then demand payment or a ‘ransom’ for the release of the files - usually in bitcoin, which is non-traceable.
A very real threat
According to research by Veeam, of 1,000 companies surveyed, a whopping 46% had been subject to a cyber attack between 2014 and 2016. That figure is likely to be more today.
Such is the threat that we have even heard of businesses setting aside cryptocurrency with the sole purpose of paying off criminals in the event of a ransomware infection.
Why are they so worried? Think back to the infamous ransomware attack WannaCry, which spread with such frightening speed in May 2017. Exploiting vulnerabilities in old computers running an unsupported version of Windows, hackers were able to infect machines around the globe, partly crippling our own NHS in the process.
Now think about the potential for data loss on an unprecedented scale and what criminals could do with unlimited access to highly sensitive information. Not to mention the financial cost arising from any downtime and the lasting damage to an organisation’s reputation.
Consider your own business. Could you afford to lose critical data? Would you want to pay a ransom? Even if you were the unwitting victim of a clever trap, would your customers easily forgive you if they had trusted you with their data and you had allowed it to fall into the hands of criminals?
Backup Heroes to the rescue
Educating your staff about opening suspicious attachments and making sure you are running up-to-date versions of software is only part of the picture.
The most sure-fire method to beat cybercriminals and avoid paying a ransom is the ability to restore data via a robust disaster recovery strategy. When your systems have been infected, a hacker may have encrypted your data so being able to revert to a clean and uncorrupted backup is the best defence.
At Backup Heroes, we work with Veeam-powered technology to offer:
If you want to defeat the hackers, Backup Heroes is your first line of defence. Protect your organisation, avoid costly outages and make sure your IT infrastructure is resilient enough to withstand attacks. To find out more, speak to our team on 0845 241 6370 – we’re happy to help.
Mobilise a hero!
