Here we are at the 10th and final step to survive a ransomware attack. If you’ve been following along, you’ve already done (or at least thought about) a lot! Hopefully you’ve dropped your administrative rights over your system, as this is a really simple thing to do, costs almost nothing, and quickly enhances your system’s […]
Note:this step takes some effort, and you do not want to tackle it yourself without the help of a competent IT person. That said, it is a very,very effective way to stop ransomware and other malware dead in its tracks. By default, computers are “general purpose devices.” This means that, even if you purchased a new […]
Never have I encountered a new client where the business owner approached me and said “I think my staff doesn’t know how to use our information systems.” With few exceptions, it’s just assumed that everyone knows how to use a computer, and that’s all that’s required to get the job done. Let alone questions about […]
If your luck is anything like mine, you’ll find out that your backups are inadequate shortly before you really need it. Fortunately, I learned this lesson early on, when I was in college, and all I lost was a database I’d made of all of my comic books. While it didn’t cost me any business, […]
10 Critical Steps to Survive a Ransomware Attack, Step 6: Restrict Access to File Shares (aka “Silo Your Data”) Most small firms we work with have a single file repository on their network, and every staff member has full access to it, and all of its contents. This means that anyone, from the CEO all […]
First off, if you did not request it, don’t open it. In the last two months, we’ve worked with three Vice President and higher executives who said exactly this: “I received an attachment from someone I didn’t know, and I wanted to see what it was.” Curiosity killed the cat… and the VP’s computer. The […]
A firewall is a type of security device that blocks network traffic to and from unauthorized sites, and allows traffic to authorized sites. Firewalls range from high end devices designed to protect the likes of Amazon and Facebook, down to SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) devices from Linksys. While there is a tremendous range of features […]
If you and your staff don’t need unfettered Internet access to do your job, don’t allow it. Period. Most of your employees do not need access to Facebook, Amazon, CNN, YouTube, and a majority of the websites they’re accessing every day. Every time you go online and access a website, you are increasing your exposure to […]
What are software patches? Patches are fixes for “bugs,” or flaws in programs. While some people still like to say “computers don’t make mistakes,” one must remember that computers are designed, built, and programmed by humans… and humans certainly make mistakes. Software patches are created when a problem is found, and the author of the […]
This is part 1 of a 10-part series of articles on protecting your business assets from ransomware. You can read the articles as a series of blog posts, or request a copy of the entire series in this free whitepaper: 10 Critical Steps to Survive a Ransomware Attack. Step 1: Drop Administrator Rights One of […]