ATLANTA STRANGLED BY SAMSAM RANSOMWARE ATTACK
IS YOUR BUSINESS NEXT?
In late March 2018, the city of Atlanta, Georgia suffered a malicious Ransomware attack. Almost a week later, city officials are still working in tandem with Cisco cyber security teams, Microsoft personnel, and staff from America’s Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. to resolve the mess.
During the height of the attack, a significant number of critical online city services were disabled. It is still unclear if city servers also suffered a data breach (which could possibly expose thousands of sensitive end-customer data files to theft) or if the city paid the ransom demand of circa U.S. $51,000 to unlock vital computer infrastructure and the applications it supports.
According to news reports, the criminals perpetrating the SamSam attacks have already stolen circa U.S. $850,000 globally. And they are still on the prowl.
YOU COULD BE NEXT
If you’re a Small to Medium sized Irish business, you probably won’t have the F.B.I. or Cisco at your disposal to make things right. A successfully-implemented Ransomware, DDoS, or similar malicious attack can have dire consequences to smaller businesses and the customers they serve:
- All vital data could be deleted
- All vital applications could be deleted
- All infrastructure could be locked up
- It could cost thousands in ransom payments to criminal perpetrators
- Sensitive end-customer data could be stolen
In a worst case scenario, it could put your enterprise out of business.
WHAT YOU MUST DO
First, fully protect your IT systems. This includes:
- Full hardware security
- Full network security
- Continual periodic backups of vital data
- Block fake messages received via email
- Use Malware and DDoS protection services
- Update Internet and browser security. Often.
- Do no open email you do not recognise
- Implement a robust Disaster Recovery program. Just in case the worst happens.
Data and IT infrastructure security and protection are no longer luxuries. A successful attack could significantly cost your business. Or… it could put you out of business entirely.
PROTECT YOUR COMPANY FROM POTENTIAL DISASTER
DB Computer Solutions can help your company mitigate the nightmare of an attack. Our Backup, Data Protection, and Disaster Recovery solutions protect your most valuable data in the event of malicious intrusion. Our Veeam capabilities ensure vital Virtual Machines remain always available even in the face of vicious attacks.
Additionally, our experienced IT Managed Services teams can advise you on how to prepare for the worst, while also getting the most out of your IT systems and applications.
To protect your data go to http://www.dbcomp.ie/products/backup-and-disaster-recovery for more information.
Or contact us now: Tel: 061 480 980, Email: info@dbcomp.ie