Ransomware: one of those nasty “ware” words that business owners know can devastate their online operation. But what exactly is ransomware? It is a type of malware that blocks you and your team’s access to your sensitive information unless your business pays a ransom.

Nefarious cybercrims gain access to your critical data through sending fake files disguised as legitimate ones before stealing and encrypting your data. This is where you will then be expected to pay the crim before they publish your critical information.

It’s a nightmare that all business owners need to avoid and thankfully there are many ways you can do exactly that:

1. Make recovery objectives

You need the best backup and disaster recovery Perth has to ensure your online environment is safe from ransomware. When planning your strategy, you need to consider your recovery time objective, which is how much time you have to recover until it becomes simply disastrous.

Next, consider your recovery point objective, which is how often you should conduct backups so that you don’t lose too much imperative data in the event of an attack. This is where you need to decide how much data you can stand to lose before it really affects your online operation.

2. Train your team

Every one of your team members has to be aware of ransomware attacks and how they may appear in your online environment. This is because every one of your team members is susceptible to falling victim to an attack and compromising your online operation.

As such, it’s important to train your team to ensure they know exactly what a ransomware email looks like. What’s more, it’s also vital that they are trained regarding what a phishing website might look like so that they don’t accidentally download any harmful malware.

3. Enlist system patching

Nasty cybercrims target MSPs through RMM software vulnerabilities. Although vendors can quite easily fix these vulnerabilities, in-house IT teams aren’t always quick to update these systems, meaning you should regularly update your antivirus, firewalls, spam, RMM software and more.

4. Pick up cybersecurity insurance

You can now purchase cybersecurity insurance that will provide a policy based on your operational needs. This may cover data breaches, online disasters and ransomware attacks that cause data loss. With this in mind, it’s important to do your research when finding a policy to ensure it is perfect for your business.

5. Conduct regular backups

Backups are essential to ensuring you will still have your critical information even if your business does experience a ransomware attack. It is also a very good idea to enlist a team that provides cloud computing solutions to ensure that you have safe and secure offsite retrieval in the unfortunate event of a ransomware attack.

6. Automate your recoveries

Your provider should be able to preconfigure your backup and disaster recovery processes through cloud computing. Having this strategy in place essentially guarantees rapid retrieval of your information regardless of the nature of the ransomware attack.

7. Conduct regular testing

You and your cloud computing provider should conduct regular testing to ensure your network is safe from the threat of ransomware attacks. This means you can simulate what a ransomware attack might be like and ensure your data retrieval strategy is sound and solid if an attack should threaten your business.

Be sure to follow these essential tips to optimising your backup and disaster recovery in the event of a malicious ransomware attack!