Showing posts with label cyber attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cyber attack. Show all posts

Friday, August 4, 2017

Data Security Leaks Prove Costly

Data security leaks come in all shapes and sizes. Many are malicious, whereas others are the result of human error. Regardless of the source or intent, data leaks can be tremendously detrimental to businesses. Consider these findings when assessing just how important data protection actually is:
  • Malicious intent is on the rise. Previously, most data leaks resulted from human error or system glitches. According to Ponemon Institute’s 2015 "Cost of Data Breach Study", 47% of data leaks are now criminal attacks, as opposed to 25 percent for human error, and 29% for system glitches.
  • Criminal attacks cost more. If it wasn’t enough that malicious attacks are now more common than ever, they are also far more costly. A record lost on behalf of a criminal attack will cost, on average, $170; system glitches cost $142 per record and human error or negligence $134 per record.
  • Business continuity can reduce the cost of a data breach. Having business continuity plan involved in the remediation of a breach can reduce the cost of a compromised record by $7.1.
  • Executives are paying greater attention to the security practices of their organizations. 79% of C-level executives say executive level involvement is necessary to achieving an effective incident response to a data breach.
  • Costs are increasing despite organizations' efforts to adapt. The organizational cost of a data breach has increased since last year, from $3.52 million to $3.79 million, and the cost per record has increased from $145 to $154. The total cost of a data breach has increased 23 percent and will continue to grow. 
Although data breaches have slightly declined, they should remain a growing concern for organizations. Be sure to have a plan in place should such an incident arise.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Have you taken the time to plan for the worst?

Everyone likes to think their business is immune from natural disasters—like fire or flood — or cyber-attacks like ransomware. But the truth is, many businesses are dangerously unprotected and many business owners are misinformed about their backups and more importantly their disaster recovery capabilities.
"Without an iron-clad backup and recovery plan, your business is at risk.  75% of small and midsize businesses rank data loss as the most significant risk to their business.” – Applied Research
For most small to midsize businesses, a week-long outage can mean complete business failure.

Our backup and disaster recovery solutions are designed to provide you with peace of mind and to strategically protect your business documents, data, and programs from any type of data loss event. We will work with you to customize a plan based on your needs to retrieve files or recover entire systems in the event they are lost or destroyed — usually in a matter of hours!

Contact us for a FREE IT ASSESSMENT.


Backup & Recovery Solutions:

Eliminate downtime | Include multiple backup locations | Ensure business continuity | Quickly restore servers | Data encryption in transit & at rest | Remote management & monitoring

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Ransomware Will Reign Again This Year

Ransomware is the latest evolution in cyber threats and malicious Internet schemes. Last year, more businesses were struck by ransomware than ever before, and that trend is expected to continue. As a result, it’s essential for all professionals to learn more about ransomware and how to defend your company.

What is ransomware?
Ransomware is a program that infiltrates a computer system and restricts access to the system or certain files. The software encrypts data so you need a key to access it. For example, when the St. Louis Public Library suffered a breach, some 700 computers at 16 branches were affected by ransomware. The attack affected both the computers designated for public use and those used by library staff. The necessary access key is only provided once a sum of money is paid, and—like any ransom—payment doesn’t guarantee a successful return outcome. Some files may be lost permanently.

Why is ransomware successful?
Ransomware schemes work because perpetrators know that data is power. Attackers can interfere with operations or damage a company’s reputation. These hackers know they’re more likely to be paid if they request a relatively small dollar amount; it’s often cheaper for a company to pay a ransom than to pay IT to beat the encryption.

The Internet of Things (IoT), or the inter-networking of smart devices, also facilitates the spread of ransomware, because the processing capabilities of connected TVs, cameras, and other devices can be leveraged to “aid” in an attack. In a stunning demonstration of these devices’ vulnerability, The Atlantic built a fake web toaster only to have it hacked within the hour.

How can you protect against ransomware?
Your company should have a firewall that is up-to-date with the latest security patches. Make sure you also have robust data recovery capability—ideally, you can simply restore your own data without needing to pay a ransom. Trends toward cloud-based services are also promising, since those services are typically isolated from malicious emails and downloads.

Additionally, train your staff in security and disaster response. Test response procedures with tabletop simulations or virtual exercises. Your successful recovery is more likely with a practiced plan in place.

The number of ransomware attacks is increasing with new variants popping up daily, so protecting your digital infrastructure is not optional. If you need help securing your tech environment or building a response and recovery plan, click here to sign up for a free IT assessment today.