Data is everything. Your business runs on data, and losing that valuable information can be absolutely devastating. When your data is lost, money and reputation go with it. The solution? Learn how secure backups help prevent ransomware! Even if you don’t think your organization is at risk for ransomware, even a power outage can cause data loss if your system crashes. The safest best practice is regularly backing up your data.
When data is lost to ransomware, who comes out ahead? You guessed it: whoever is using ransomware to scam people into paying for access to their own data. Meanwhile, you’re left to pick up the pieces of an infiltrated organization.
This article will explore how secure backups help prevent ransomware in your organization. We’ll talk about the importance of having a good backup solution in place, and what to do when ransomware strikes.
How Does Ransomware Work?
The first step in stopping ransomware is understanding what it is. Ransomware, short for “ransom” and “software,” is a form of malware that seizes control of vital files on computers or networks, then offers to return them only if the victim pays money. The perpetrators are often far removed from your organization, giving you little recourse if your data is held hostage.
Criminals get to choose what type of files they hold hostage. In some cases, ransomware holds certain files hostage while leaving others untouched. In other instances, all data is encrypted and held hostage from the moment it’s infected.
Why do criminals use ransomware? Ransomware can secure a lot of money quickly with little risk to the criminal. Even when victims are able to trace the exploit, it’s impossible to decrypt files without a special key that whoever encrypted the data holds.
Secure Backups Help Prevent Ransomware
There’s no foolproof way to avoid ransomware entirely, but keeping a secure backup of your organization’s data can reduce the chances of a successful attack. Backups also put you in control: only you and your designated IT personnel should be able to access them, so data isn’t compromised if criminals manage to infiltrate your network.
Ransomware often strikes because computers aren’t backed up regularly enough to provide peace of mind for users. With a backup ready to go, ransomware can’t do any harm. If a backup is compromised because of ransomware, you can simply restore from a previous secure backup.
It’s important to know that not all backups are equal. Just because you have your data saved somewhere doesn’t mean it’s secure. In fact, if you’re not using a secure backup solution, then you might be making it easier for ransomware to get in and hold your data captive. Ransomware can look for vulnerable backups and make copies of itself there.
The solution is obvious: employ a reliable backup strategy to protect your data. You want one that encrypts your data so that even if it falls into the wrong hands, it won’t be readable without knowing the password. You want to make sure that your back ups run frequently, so you don’t lose any of your data, even the most recent updates.
When Ransomware Strikes
If you have a secure backup solution in place, ransomware won’t be able to touch your data backups. You’ll be able to get back to work that much faster if you have a secure backup solution protecting an updated version of your data.
It’s important to note that if ransomware strikes your computers before you have this in place, the ransomware will encrypt your data and leave you out in the cold. But it goes to show: don’t let ransomware strike at all, and you’ll be able to prevent that outcome.
Data is everything, but our backups are just as important. Keep yours secure with a good backup solution such as cloud storage, and when you need it, your backup will be there to save the day.
Reliable Cybersecurity
Get in touch with Ascent Data today to learn more about how backups help prevent ransomware. When you partner with our team of experts, you gain access to our comprehensive approach to cybersecurity that offers maximum protection.
