Outsource IT Solutions Group Helps New Client Recover From Ransomware Attack
Ransomware would have caused a lot more damage to this business if they hadn’t gotten in touch with our team for help.
You’ve probably heard a lot about ransomware and other cybercrime threats. It’s easy to hype up the doom and gloom about cybercrime – fear is often a great motivator. At a certain point, it’s probably turned into background noise, right? You hear so much about these types of threats that you may begin to become numb to it.
Here’s a reminder of just how real cybercrime is: a business recently reached out to us for help with a ransomware infection. Their network vendor couldn’t do anything about it, and told the business to find an IT company that could – it’s a good thing they got in touch with our team.
How Did Outsource IT Solutions Group Help?
Working after hours, our team initiated key actions to learn about the source of the ransomware attack, and how best to respond to it:
- We sent a technician onsite to evaluate the state of their IT systems
- We determined how the virus infiltrated their system so that it could be prevented in the future
- We secured all files that had not yet been infected by ransomware
“I cannot compliment enough on how this company, that had no prior relationship to me, stepped right in and assisted me through this trying time,” says an anonymous contact from the business. “They gave me personal, friendly, timely and on-point service.”
How Does Ransomware Work?
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the target’s data (making it unreadable and inaccessible) and holds it for ransom. It targets all data on the target’s systems, making it impossible for them to ignore until they pay the ransom or restore the data from backup.
Typically, an unsuspecting employee clicks on an emailed attachment that appears to be a bill or other official document. In actuality, the attachment installs a malicious software program (malware) onto the computer system.
There are a number of ways that hackers can trick targets into downloading ransomware:
Phishing: Phishing is a hacking technique that “fishes” for victims by sending them deceptive emails. Phishing attacks are often mass emails that include ransomware as an attachment.
Malvertising: Hackers have found vulnerabilities in many popular, modern browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. They spam users with official-looking pop-ups informing them of an “infection” or “security alert” prompting them to download a file or click a link. As with so many of these methods, it just comes down to getting the user to interact with malware in some way without them knowing it.
Out Of Date Hardware: Many of the most common malware and viruses used by cybercriminals today are based on exploiting those programming flaws; to address this, developers regularly release software patches and updates to fix those flaws and protect the users.
What Would Happen If You Were Infected With Ransomware Right Now?
Do you have a plan? Are your system endpoints protected? Are your backups recent, tested, and viable?
It’s a mistake to assume that just because you haven’t been hit by ransomware yet, that you won’t be anytime soon. You may think you can put off investing in effective cybersecurity support, but without warning, you may get hit.
Don’t assume you’re safe – working with the Outsource team, you’ll know for sure.
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