Understanding Ransomware: A Major Cyber Threat

Ransomware has emerged as one of the most successful types of cyber attacks, with businesses worldwide losing billions of dollars each year. These losses stem not only from ransom payments but also from the catastrophic effects of data loss, which can lead to the closure of businesses that fall victim to such attacks.

How Ransomware Works

The mechanics of a ransomware attack are deceptively simple yet devastatingly effective. Typically, it starts with an email. This email might appear to be from a legitimate company, like AGL, and contains a link. Because the email is plain text with a link, standard virus scanners usually won’t detect any threat.

The trouble begins when you or one of your employees clicks on that link. The link directs your browser to a website that mimics the look of the legitimate site. At this point, the site prompts the user to download a file. Once that file is downloaded and executed on the computer, the ransomware takes over. It swiftly encrypts all data files on that computer and then scans the network for other devices and servers, encrypting their data as well. In mere minutes, you can lose access to all your critical business data.

Cloud Environments Aren’t Immune

Many small and medium-sized businesses operate in cloud-based environments, assuming their data is safe. However, this belief is misguided. Even in a cloud setup, if a local device is infected and its data encrypted, that encryption can propagate to your cloud storage. This means that the same risks apply whether your data is stored on local servers, in the cloud, or both.