Comprehensive guide to ransomware protection and recovery

The rise of ransomware has become a crisis that has crippled organizations world-wide. New strains of ransomware and other malware threats specifically target backup data for encryption or deletion, effectively destroying organizations’ last line of defense. With more employees transitioning to working remotely, exposure to ransomware and the risk of infection are increasing at an alarming rate.

Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts victims’ data so threat actors can demand a "ransom"in exchange for a decryption key needed to unlock your data.

Even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that the attacker will provide you with the decryption key. Some companies refuse to pay, relying on backup data to recover. However, according to Coveware, 26% of companies that have a backup solution in place at the time of the attack are still unable to recover their data.

Downtime, data loss, business disruption, and damage to brand credibility can be devastating. The U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance found that 60% of small businesses hit by ransomware go out of business within a year. In today's diverse and distributed IT environment, restoring your organization's applications and data quickly in the event of a ransomware attack is a significant challenge. According to a Gartner analysis of clients' ransomware preparedness, over 90% of ransomware attacks are preventable with sound security fundamentals, including an effective backup and recovery strategy.

Reliable backup and recovery is a crucial line of defense against ransomware. Secure backup copies can empower companies to restore their critical business data and applications without paying a ransom. Backups are vital for data and applications that are particularly vulnerable to ransomware such as end-user data, NAS, file shares, virtual machines, and SaaS applications including Microsoft 365.