Do you have a cyber hygiene program in place? While physical hygiene has been top of mind of late, itâs important to consider cyber hygiene as well. Just like properly washing your hands, itâs critical to take the correct approach to protecting the security of your businessâs digital and virtual assets.Â
The recent growth of teleworking creates even more vulnerabilities. Opportunities for ransomware attacks are increasing. But there are steps every business can take — whether small or enterprise in size — to prevent attacks and prepare their companies for the future.
Whatâs the best approach for your business when it comes to cybersecurity? Find out in this recorded IT Community Webinars conversation. This episode is part of the ongoing series of informative webinars brought to you by the experts at Virtual Intelligence Briefing.Â
GET PROVEN TIPS AND TACTICS
In todayâs episode, Tom Riddle, Director of Survey and Research Solutions at ViB, is joined by cybersecurity expert Dr. Victor Berlin, President of Stacked-UP and founder of the Mission Critical Institute for Cybersecurity.
Also part of the conversation are panelists Eric Handy and Dr. Chrisan Herrod who are both cyber risk management experts with vast experience protecting organizations from breaches and ransomware.
Listen in as Victor, Eric, and Crisan share information and best practices, including:
- What are ransomware attacks
- The costs of attacks on your business
- How a cyber hygiene program protects your business
- Choosing the right cybersecurity approachÂ
IMPACT OF RANSOMWARE ATTACKS
According to Victor, âRansomware attacks may not be the most commonâ type of security breach âbut they are very dramatic, and they can have a major impact.â He estimates that for 2021, ransomware may cost businesses $5 trillion globally.Â
Ransomware is malware that encrypts a victimâs files until a specified ransom is paid. âWhat the ransomware attack does is freeze your business,â says Victor. Every aspect of your operations can be shut down by a ransomware attack.Â
One case study is a global company with $1.5 billion in revenue. A web-based cyber attack encrypted their computer files, rendering everything unusable. Â
âThey ended up paying 4.5 million Bitcoinâ to the attackers, says Eric, to resume their business operations. He explains that it was âmore like a business negotiationâ even though a crime had been committed. But this attack, and the expense of the ransom, could have been prevented with good cyber hygiene.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS
Victor explains that cyber hygiene is not unlike physical hygiene. âYou take certain actions like washing your hands, especially in this day and age, in order to prevent infection,â he says. âCyber hygiene is taking on preventive acts in order to protect your system.âÂ
A ransomware attack costs money but victimized organizations also pay a PR price. âA ransomware attack could create a bad imageâ for your company. Whatâs more, âit could actually hurt your customers if they get breached as part of this.âÂ
In addition to securing your data, systems, and networks, companies must also protect their staff. âYou want to keep your staff,â says Victor. âYou don’t want them to become disillusioned.âÂ
SPEND YOUR TIME AND MONEY WISELY
Chrisan cites FBI estimates that indicate there are âapproximately 4,000 ransomware attacks launched every day.â That means that âevery 40 seconds, there’s an attack launched.â Preventing these attacks requires âa number of different prevention-type implementationsâ rather than just depending on one solution. âPutting in firewalls, for example, is not going to prevent ransomware.âÂ
Open-source solutions are available, offering different levels of cyber hygiene depending on the size and nature of your organization. For example, the NIST cybersecurity framework can help establish proper risk-control methods for enterprises.
But for small businesses with a limited budget? Chrisan says that the âlow-cost, high-impactâ steps of âeducation, training and awarenessâ should be at the top of your cyber hygiene list.Â
She explains that â40% of all spam contains ransomware, and that’s an extraordinary number.â For companies of all sizes, itâs critical that employees âhave knowledge of what a phishing attack is, what damage a spam message can do.â
CREATE A CYBER SECURITY PLAN
According to Victor, the key element of cyber hygiene is planning. âYou need to set up a cyber hygiene plan,â he says. The best plans include âmethods and procedures so you are well-positioned to recover data and recover your systems.â
A good plan will prevent a breach in the first place. But if one does occur, your plan should include methods to help you âminimize the impact.â
Eric points out that more than just having a program in place, you must actually follow it. âMake sure you have continuous monitoring throughout the process,â he says, including regular backups and testing. That way, âyou can feel protected and that you’re doing due diligence.âÂ
STAY INFORMED AND SECUREÂ
Find out more by listening to the entire episode, âIT Community Webinars: Block Ransomware Attacks and Protect Your Assets with Cyber Hygiene with Dr. Victor Berlinâ Learn from experienced cybersecurity experts and take steps to protect your business, customers, and assets.
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