Ransomware Strikes Again – How to Prevent an Attack

In January 2018, Hancock Health in Greenfield, Indiana was attacked by SamSam ransomware, a type of malware targeting vulnerable servers. Once it is installed on the server, it spreads to others in the same network. If you’re not aware, a ransomware is a malware encrypts and locks down all data in the system. The hackers then require you to pay a “ransom” for the decryption codes to access your data. In the recent attack, hackers were able to get into the hospital systems by “logging in with a third-party vendor’s credentials into the Hancock Hospital remote access portal (ZDNET).”

Hancock Health was asked to pay approximately $55,000 in order to unlock their files. One of the ways you can avoid paying the ransom is by having all of your data backed up in at least two different places- preferably a cloud-based solution like Datto or Acronis. In this situation, Hancock opted to pay the ransom rather than recover their backup, which would have taken days. Unfortunately, by paying these ransoms, we are funding the hackers.

Ransomware attacks have been increasing in the past few years, and they often target small and medium sized businesses. Sadly, the hackers behind these attacks have created a smart business model by asking for a reasonable amount of money in exchange for releasing the company’s data. Once you’ve been hit by a ransomware attack, you’ll be in a vulnerable and difficult position like the Hancock Health System last week. Preventing these attacks is important.

Here are a few ways you can fortify your current system.

Secure your perimeter. Your firewall is the first line of defense and should have Antivirus and Spam rules to detect malicious URLs. By securing your perimeter, you’re already one step ahead of hackers.

Use content filters and scanning on your mail servers to weed out any potential viruses and malware that come through email. Also, educate your employees on what an email with malware looks like so they can spot it before it becomes a problem.

KEEP YOUR SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS UP TO DATE! We can’t stress this enough. Letting your operating system or anti-virus software get outdated leaves you vulnerable to an attack.

Use a Virtual Private Network(VPN) while travelling and using public WiFi. Make sure your IT department is aware so they can monitor as well.

Back up your data on a remote server to ensure if you ARE attacked that you can avoid paying the ransom by recovering your files from the backup. Use a cloud backup solution to prevent your files from becoming corrupted by ransomware. And periodically have your IT team perform a test restore to validate your backup.

Hire a trustworthy outside IT company to be your managed service provider (MSP). Having an MSP on retainer means your systems will be monitored 24/7. They will keep everything up-to-date and alert you of any potential attacks so you don’t have to worry about your data. In today’s world, you rely on your computer to keep your business running.

Valeo Networks offers managed IT services with 24/7 Help Desk Support. Don’t wait until you’ve been attacked. Get in touch with now and set up a free consultation.

Valeo Networks offers new customers a free Network Assessment (a $250 Value), which includes a Data Security Analysis. Contact Valeo Networks anytime at 800-584-6844 or via sales@saalexIT.com.