Ransomware isn’t a new threat to business. It has been around for a long while, but lately it seems we are bombarded with news stories about ransomware. Two recent ones of note have been the cyber attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats. In both cases they agreed to pay the ransom. So, why is this a problem?
Many people believe that cyber security is an expensive luxury item that only large enterprises can afford. They think that as a small enterprise “we don’t have anything of value anyone would want to steal?” or that “we are too small and unimportant to be targeted by cyber criminals.”
So, you have started a new business and you want to get on the Internet. Businesses like yours get on the Internet for many reasons, but the most basic one is that in order to gain and retain customers, you need to have an Internet presence. Whether you have an informational website, ecommerce website, or are transferring data through the cloud, there are risks that come with the associated benefits on being online.
Simply put, cyber security encompasses everything businesses (large and small) and individuals require to prevent unauthorized access to networks, devices, and ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and ensuring the availability of information. Without cyber security, it could possibly lead to the disruption of your business operations.
Many business owners, especially of SMBs, take to the wearing of many hats to grow a successful business. They feel they need to do it all themselves. But is this true about cyber security? Can you do it all on your own? Should you do it all on your own?
Many businesses have started to make the switch from company-provided equipment to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). As an employer, this has many advantages: you don’t have to buy your employees a device to work on and the employee gets to use whatever form factor they’re comfortable with and used to, be it Microsoft or Mac, smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Ransomware is malicious software designed to make your computer inaccessible by encrypting all of the files and holding them hostage for a substantial ransom. If your computer is connected to a network, it will usually try to spread to any other computers on the network and infect their files too. Recently, Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods suffered ransomware attacks that affected production and forced those companies to pay a huge ransom.
From a business perspective, the Internet can be a risky space. It often leads to the question of, does my business need to be online? Whether you are marketing your products or services, receiving orders from customers by email or through web order forms, or simply doing research on your line of business, you know that having an internet presence is crucial to your business. In fact, 70% of internet users aged 55-64 say they’ve bought something online in the past month, according to data from Hootsuite’s Digital 2020 Report, and 37% plan to continue doing so even after the pandemic is over.
