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5 Steps to Protect your Data from Theft

itro > IT Security  > 5 Steps to Protect your Data from Theft

5 Steps to Protect your Data from Theft

Data means different things to different people: for businesses, data is about day-to-day operations, relationships and being profitable. For hackers, your data IS their business-profit!

“The cost of a cyber attack to a business is $276,323 and takes 23 days to resolve” MailGuard 2016

Ransomware – sophisticated, malicious software – is being used by hackers to encrypt data files of Australian businesses and government departments via the Internet every day. Once files are locked, hackers extort money by demanding a hefty ransom to unlock your files. With attacks growing in reach and sophistication, data everywhere is at risk.

Even when a ransom is paid there is no certainty your hijacked files will be unlocked. By implementing five steps you can minimise the likelihood of your Practice being infected with a CryptoLocker.

The good news!

Adopt these five effective measures and protect your Practice against malicious cyber-attacks:

1. Stop it from reaching your ‘front door’.

  • Ransomware threats are often spread via email so use a Cloud-based email filtering service to detect the threat before it arrives at your network. itro MailSafe powered by MailGuard is our preferred Cloud-based Email Protection Service.

2. Don’t let it through your ‘front door’.

  • Educate your team to be cautious about opening attachments and clicking on links. Remember, the Internet is a doorway to your systems and data!
  • Have a firewall that supports deep level content inspection to prevent viruses entering your network. Just having the firewall is not enough though, it needs to be correctly configured to protect against these threats. The right firewall correctly configured is a vital step in preventing the Trojan from penetrating your network.

3. Stop or slow down the spread if it gets into your network.

Good internal security practices can stop a CryptoLocker in its tracks and allow your IT team to deal with it early before it infects and encrypts your PC or, even worse, your entire network.

  • Employ best practice password and internal security policies
  • Engage a top level Anti-Virus Security Suite, such as Webroot
  • Along with Anti-Virus, adopt Malwarebytes an Anti-Malware program

4. Perform regular data backups.

  • A secure Backup Solution is the last resort to recovering your files in the case of infection. Have a ‘snapshot’ backup that runs continuously throughout the day to a destination that is NOT on your internal network. itro’s ‘Secure Backup’ solution keeps your data securely in an off-site location ready for speedy recovery.

5. Keep up with software updates.

For example, Windows 10 has numerous security improvements to the operating system that are not available in earlier versions of Windows. An effective device management solution is essential to ensuring your devices are patched and up to date. This is part of all itro Support Plans, starting from itro ‘Service Core’.

In Conclusion

Ransomware poses a significant and tangible threat to your business, but implementing the above five steps will minimise your likelihood of being infected with a CryptoLocker.

If you’re unsure if your business is protected against Ransomware attacks call itro and we can provide you with an assessment of your system along with recommendations to secure your data.

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