Avoid Ransomware to Protect Your Digital Data

If there is anything good to be gleaned from the advent of the WannaCrypt attack that took place on Friday (and, according to news reports, it may well surface again today), it’s that ransomware is headline news. Governments and institutions are being urged by Microsoft and self-professed hackers including Alexander Urbelis to use this as a wake-up call and take action, fast.

It also offers all of us the opportunity to make sure we’re doing what we can individually to protect our data, and our livelihoods. Here’s my Top Ten of things to do – today – to make sure you’re safe.

1.         Ensure you have a daily backup that includes your entire dataset so in the event you are targeted, you don’t have to pay as the virus can be removed and data restored. If you have a backup service with San-iT then this is fully managed for you.

2.         Don’t backup to USB storage as when a virus runs it infects USB backups too. Cloud backups are more secure and are a more robust option.

3.         Use an antivirus solution that encompasses built-in locker prevention tools. Not all solutions have this as standard.

4.         Make complex passwords company policy. We can enforce these so all users must adhere.

5.         Implement content filtering that reduces the likelihood of staff accessing rogue websites. This can also help to increase productivity.

6.         Put in place email policies that remove links and attachments containing malicious content. There are many solutions that can be implementing and more and more business are implementing this.

7.         Make sure your devices are fully patched with the latest software updates. If you are subscribed to San-iT’s remote management and monitoring solution then we manage this on your behalf.

8.         Where possible, move data and services to a trusted Cloud provider. Data security is their business, so their data centres will be more secure than a server in your office.

9.         Put in place a disaster recovery plan detailing what to do in a situation where you have become infected.

10.     Educate your workforce to make sure they understand the threats and the impact they have, along with what to look out for.

And once you’re done at work – take the same approach at home. Whether you’ve got tech-hungry teenagers or silver surfers, now is the perfect time to make sure they can protect themselves too.

For further information on how to secure your business and its data, please comment below, or contact the team at San-iT. www.San-iT.co.uk 0161 359 3689

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