Surviving A Ransomware Attack

Ransomware attacks are increasing at a rate of several hundred percent per quarter, and according to one survey over half of the organizations surveyed have already suffered between 1 and 5 such attacks. There is a way to survive, according to a former Global Security Architect for HP. Treat cybersecurity the same way as any other business risk, by preparing for a data ransom scenario as you would for theft of physical assets. Mobilize board-level executives, as well as communications and IT heads. Do not engage with the hackers, or provide payment of any kind. There is no guarantee that they will delete the data or you will get the data back, and if ransomware is involved, there’s no guarantee that you won’t be re-infected a week, month or year down the line. Remember, disclosing a cover-up is far worse than disclosing a data breach. Don’t sit on the information. First, inform the authorities, then board members who are out of the loop and then the shareholders. All individuals and organizations that have been affected should be informed next. Inform the media, but make sure you have all the facts and have decided what is and is not going to be said first. Overestimating the impact can be just as damaging as underestimating it.