What Is a Ransomware Attack?

According to the FBI, Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks and demands you pay a ransom for their return. Businesses, including many small businesses, can become victims of a ransomware attack. Cyber threat actors will demand a ransom after the data is encrypted and is no longer accessible by the business. The data encryption could include files, databases, systems, and applications. 37% of all businesses and organizations were affected by ransomware in 2021.

Here are a few common ways ransomware can be delivered and deployed and tips for preventing ransomware:

Phishing Emails

Cybercriminals can put a convincing email together that looks legitimate. Employees sorting through the many emails they get may be prone to automatically opening such an email. This can lead to a redirect that automatically downloads malware. Often, the malware looks like a common file type like a Microsoft Word or Excel file, or a PDF. Opening these files can trigger the ransomware.

What a business can do to help prevent malware from phishing emails: Only open files received from a trusted source. If you receive an email from a client company whose name you don’t recognize, contact the company to verify their identity first. Preview URLs before clicking on links. Educate employees on these practices.

Pirated Software

Pirated software introduces huge cybersecurity risks. If a business suffers a loss due to the use of pirated software and files a claim with their cyber insurance carrier, the carrier may deny the claim.

What a business can do to prevent cyber attacks from pirated software: This risk can be the easiest one to prevent. Only obtain software from legitimate sources and keep it updated. If it is a matter of affordability, check out the free tools offered by Google, like Docs and Sheets.

USB and Flash Drives

Hackers can load ransomware software onto flash drives. The software infects the business’s system when it is plugged into a port.

What a business can do to prevent flash drive malware downloads: Keep computer antivirus software up to date. It should be effective at catching any embedded ransomware before it causes a problem.

Visiting Unsafe Sites

We’ve all had our browsers stop us from visiting certain sites before. This is the browser’s way of reducing the incidence of ransomware. Sometimes a legitimate website can be compromised by a cyber attack, and there’s an automatic redirect to a malicious website.

What a business can do to prevent ransomware on malicious websites: An ounce of cyber prevention is worth a pound of cure. Remove unnecessary browser plug-ins and make sure the browser is up to date. Consider installing an ad-blocker that prevents pop-ups.