U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns new ransomware targets, infects and compromises business servers—multiplying the extent of infection on your network.
The future of ransomware: not only scrambling your files and infecting your network with stronger encryption, but evaluating the worth of your business data. Hackers are realizing that business owners are willing to pay more for their data.
Imagine what data is really important for you and your team to keep operating day to day—maybe in Purchasing, Marketing, HR, Accounting and Finance, or Operations—think about the specific data, file configurations, customized spreadsheets and software. All the technology that if encrypted would hold you back from serving your customers and keeping your employees happy.
Sophisticated cyber hackers have started evaluating the value of your business data—the nuts and bolts of your organization, all of the information that keeps your company running smoothly.
Malicious software has been evolving to the extent that security experts are having trouble keeping up with encryption paths. And while in the past, your business might have saved face relatively easily by paying a relatively small ransom (commonly, hackers have charged around ~600 USD to decrypt your system once infected)—TODAY your business will face costly ransom notes that match perceived value of your data.
How does the “new ransomware ransom” affect your check book?
Ransomware now targets specific hardware—business servers carrying your company’s most valuable information. Data worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars? Millions of dollars? New computer virus strains are targeting your most valued data…. And ransom notes are high bank-breaking numbers. Hackers know that you will be willing to pay LOTs of money for data, if encrypted long term, may result in you closing your doors or completely losing your credibility within your industry.
And Paying the ransom comes with NO guarantees! Criminals are ready and willing to make the most of their crimes. Don’t for a second think they’re going to stick to an agreement. How did they get in the cybercrime business to begin with? They want to take advantage of you and your business—the more they can get from you, the better off they are!
How do most businesses like yours get infected with ransom viruses?
Exploits—on websites, embedded in email attachments, links or popups— are looking for vulnerabilities in your networks and systems. That means anything that isn’t up-to-date: browsers, security patches, plugins. They simply look for an open door on ANY computer that might not be locked down, infect one machine that leads to bigger infections. New virus strains specifically search out servers—infecting and encrypting the important stuff.
And if you think that a hard reboot will stop one of these viruses, think again!
One of the latest ransomware variants, denoted “Jigsaw” debuted in April of 2016. The problem with Jigsaw is that the code penalized users that tried to restart their computer. In fact, every time a machine was restarted, Jigsaw deleted 1,000 encrypted files!
The most terrifying part is that some of these criminals have absurd demands. One recent ransom note demanded an architectural firm to meet him at a local Starbucks. No police. No cell phones. No computers. Or the deal was off (your data is gone!). Kinda sounds to me like a drug deal.
Could you ever imagine being face-to-face with a hacker that just stole ALL of your business data at a Starbucks with no phone or safety net? I certainly would not go and definitely would not risk someone on my team! These hackers want to make it emotional. They WILL get into your head. They’ll make it personal.
Does this sound like something you’re willing to risk your business and peace of mind over?
How can you eliminate downtime from cryptowall, ransomware and other social engineering attacks—avoiding leaving doors open to criminals?
Our no-hack guarantee is simple: if a hacker figures out a way around fitSecure, we will recover your data, computer and network, for FREE. If you have HIPAA or PCI compliance needs, fitSecure gives you a check in the box for your IPS/IDS requirement. And best of all, with a secure virtual private network (VPN) access, your team can access your network SAFELY from anywhere.
Can you risk your business data falling in the wrong hands— ransomware and cybercrime? Call me TODAY for a FREE security strategy consultation.
