Ransomware Makes Backups a Necessity

Businesses around the world are experiencing significant growth in the volume of data that they store. Data is used in all areas of business; from customer retention and management, to inventory and stock ordering. Legal records, invoicing, and payroll are all examples of areas of a business where information is primarily kept as digital data.

With data increasingly becoming important for business continuity and success, you need to ask whether your business can afford to lose its data. Even in the event of a partial data-loss incident, would you be able to recover? If you’re without backups and an automated system in place, then your business is vulnerable.

The Risk of Data-Loss Too Great to Ignore

The risk of losing important data has grown in recent years. Not only can data be lost through user error and hardware failure; but you now face the risks of ransomware attacks and other malicious cyber-attacks. No matter how much you have invested in network and data security, there is still the ever present threat that an outside party could compromise your data, leaving your business vulnerable.

Just take a look at an example from 2017 to see how malicious parties are disrupting businesses around the world. The WannaCry Virus was a form of ransomware that affected over 200,000 individuals and businesses, and a total of more than 300,000 computers. This ransomware spread quickly in May of 2017, holding computers ransom by encrypting local data and demanding a fee for an encryption key. The ransomware spread across 150 countries and damages are estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

WannaCry was a huge wakeup call for many businesses, and it’s not the only piece of software that has impacted a widespread number of private and business users. Cryptolocker is an older example from 2013. This ransomware encrypted specific files including Word documents and AutoCAD files. Affected users were asked to pay extortion fees of up to $400 USD to receive an encryption key to unlock their files.

In your own business, can you imagine not only how inconvenient it would be to lose your files, but also how damaging it would be to your day to day operations? Ransomware attacks are just one of the potential ways that your data could be lost or compromised. Hardware failure, accidental deletion, and incorrect replacement of old files could all be catastrophic for your business in the worst case scenario.

If you want to be protected as much as possible from future ransomware and cyberattacks, as well as having an element of redundancy for cases of accidental data loss, then it is essential that you have a backup solution in place.

Backup Solutions for Businesses

Full system backups, differential backups, and incremental backups are all options for modern businesses. On-site hardware backup systems can be used, or cloud-based backups can be used for the ultimate redundancy.

With cloud and other secure online backup systems, your data will always be available, no matter what happens with your physical hardware. This offers almost complete data redundancy that can safeguard your business interests.

It can be difficult as a business owner to determine the exact type of backup solution you need, which is why managed IT solutions are so important for today’s businesses. With a managed IT services, you can have access to professional security consultants and other IT professionals who will develop the right infrastructure and loss protection plan that suits your unique circumstances.

Being protected from ransomware, other viruses, and end-user or hardware-related data loss will mean that you can worry less while running your business. Managed IT solutions offer you comprehensive maintenance, protection, and consulting whenever you need it.



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