Our IT has been hacked – Can you imagine a more alarming message? Probably not. If blackmail letters and ransom demands flutter into the house, the worst-case scenario is perfect. It’s about hijacked and encrypted data. The threat: the data will only be decrypted again and not published if a ransom is paid. Blackmailers usually demand payment in the digital currency Bitcoin. Banks or other financial institutions cannot track these payments for a straightforward reason.
Blackmailers Keep An Eye On The Middle Class
The number of attacks on medium-sized companies speaking countries is steadily increasing – a worrying trend that results in financial losses of 223 billion euros per year. The amount of damage is almost twice as high as in the previous years, 2020 and 2021. Why are blackmailers focusing on medium-sized businesses? Experts have identified two reasons for this: On the one hand, medium-sized companies are a lucrative and financially strong target.
On the other hand, medium-sized companies often underestimate the dangers of the network. Compared to large corporations, they still have a lot of catching up to do regarding cybersecurity. Because: The criminals are arming themselves and setting themselves up to be more professional. Blackmail software is becoming more sophisticated and diverse. So it is not surprising that the sums required are getting higher and higher.
The insurance companies are also reacting to the new circumstances: they have announced that they will no longer insure these cases. An enormous amount of pressure that medium-sized companies feel exposed to. Their livelihoods are threatened: If they were faced with horrendous demands for money and a loss of image due to ransomware, they would be alone. The prospects for the future are not suitable for medium-sized companies in particular. Waiting is not an option – a solution must be found.
New Cybersecurity Requirements
There is no complete protection against ransomware. Cybercriminals always seem to be one small step ahead. They find ever faster, ever better ways to circumvent the existing security precautions of the companies. But sitting out is out of the question because the fall height is exceptionally high. The best way to protect yourself is to reduce your own risk as much as possible.
At the same time, it is essential to drastically increase the level of security. This is the only way to ward off a possible attack. But what is the best way to proceed here? Of course, most companies are familiar with regularly changing passwords, virus scanners or VPN solutions. However, these security precautions do not provide reliable protection against ransomware attacks. They are just a tiny piece of the cybersecurity puzzle. Experience shows: The IT landscape has become much more heterogeneous in recent years.
Cloud solutions are ubiquitous. To make matters worse, medium-sized companies often use outdated IT systems that no longer correspond to the latest technology and security. On the other hand, Hackers are constantly evolving and always up to date. Sounds like a huge challenge. It is undoubtedly too. A strategy has to be found – quickly, carefully and effectively. But medium-sized companies do not have to face this challenge alone. External partners – such as us – have specialized in this area.
Also Read: WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY?