5 Ransomware Myths for Small and Midsize Businesses

Ransomware does not discriminate and it can happen to anyone. As the owner or employee of a small and/or midsize business, it’s crucial to be aware of the top myths that surround ransomware and take the proper precautions to keep yourself and your business protected.

MYTH 1: HACKERS DON’T BOTHER WITH SMALL COMPANIES

Anyone is a target for ransomware. However, SMBs are increasingly becoming a bigger and bigger target. In fact it can be even more serious when a smaller company is hit. Many times these smaller sized organizations don’t have the budget to make security a top priority like larger organizations do. It has been reported that small organizations suffer around 10,000 cyberattacks a day collectively with the cost averaging around $200,000.

MYTH 2: THERE IS NO WAY TO PREPARE FOR A RANSOMWARE ATTACK

There are many things SMBs can do to try to reduce the likelihood of an attack. Utilizing a backup system can help defend yourself against ransomware attacks and protect your data. Protecting your backup copies is also important. The best way to do this is running it on a separate network and using different credentials; that way the ransomware doesn’t spread to the backup.

MYTH 3: I AM SAFE IF I HAVE A BACKUP PLAN IN PLACE

Backing up data and having a cybersecurity plan in place are both very important but sometimes ransomware finds its way around that. If this is the case, systems and data would need to be recovered quickly which can cause downtime and be costly. Having a disaster recovery service in place can be beneficial and serve as extra protection.

MYTH 4: TECHNOLOGY BY ITSELF WILL SAVE ME

While technology is extremely important, it is not the only solution. Phishing attacks which occurs due to a person clicking on a dangerous link or opening malware are responsible for 93% of the start to security breaches. The best way to avoid these attacks is to inform your employees of these risks by offering training.

MYTH 5: IT IS HARD TO GET A CYBERSECURITY PLAN IN PLACE

If you are unsure where to start, keep in mind that the Technicians at CATS Technology are certified Cybersecurity experts and will secure and monitor your system 24/7 so you never have to worry about it being compromised.

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