Why are ransomware attacks so successful?
Ransomware has become the number one worry on the minds of IT security experts, and company owners, and it doesn’t show any signs of disappearing.
South African companies and individuals have been hit hard by cybercriminals over the past few years. The country ranked eighth in terms of ransomware attacks in 2021, with the cost of cybercrime overall exceeding R2 billion the year before.
There’s little doubt that ransomware is an extremely damaging online phenomenon, but why are ransomware attacks so successful and how can you avoid becoming the next victim?
weak defences and smart attackers: a dangerous match
Like any kind of crime, a successful ransomware attack relies on criminals bypassing your data security to gain access to your computer network.
- As cyber defences improve, hackers get smarter and find ways of bypassing them.
- The easiest target of all is a business that isn’t using the latest cybersecurity solutions or hasn’t updated them recently enough.
- Cybercriminals are using advanced social engineering and exploiting vulnerabilities in companies’ online defences to break through and execute ransomware attacks.
As a business owner, you and your staff will need to be on the lookout for suspicious emails and other messages while keeping your antivirus, firewall, and secure cloud storage up to date.
There are two types of ransomware that you need to be able to spot:
- Random penetration attempts sent to thousands of email addresses and phone numbers (these are more obvious and usually easier to spot).
- Targeted attacks which involve hackers researching and infiltrating a specific business. These are more dangerous because they read like legitimate communications.
are you dealing with a hacking hacker or a cybercrime mastermind?
If you receive a generic email or text message that looks suspicious you probably know what to do already: delete and forget.
Messages like this are usually easy to pick up because they sound fake. Vague wording, promises that sound too good to be true like lottery winnings or other kinds of free money are signs that you’re just one of many hundreds of thousands of people who have been targeted by a hacker.
On the other hand, if you receive a message that seems to be addressed to you, and could be from a legitimate business or even someone you know, you’re less likely to think that it could be a ransomware attack.
But if it is, your data could be in jeopardy.
- Cybercriminals have taken to researching companies and even individuals in depth to identify easy targets. If this sounds scary, it really is.
- Your privacy may have already been invaded by cybercriminals and your details could be doing the rounds on the dark web. Usually this happens after data leaks compromise your personal information.
Keep your data safe with high-tech cloud storage
Ransomware may be all over, but you don’t need to be its latest victim.
Updating your online security, including antivirus, firewall, and secure cloud storage solutions are the best ways you can make your information harder for hackers to access,
Soteria’s range of encrypted, secure cloud storage solutions are an ideal starting point for any business or family wanting to stay safe online. Browse our range of cloud storage packages to get started.