The recent Atlanta ransomware attacks are a sobering reminder of how vulnerable your digital files actually are. Don’t let hackers hold your important files hostage. Learn what you can do to prevent this from happening to your business. Contact Digital Service Consultants today to put a disaster recovery plan in place.

 

 

What Were the Atlanta Ransomware Attacks?

In March 2018, thirteen local government departments of the city of Atlanta were attacked by ransomware identified as SamSam, that crippled their court system, prevented residents from paying their water bills, limited vital communications such as sewer infrastructure requests, and forced their police department to file paper reports. The battle took over a week and cost the city $2.6 million to recover from the attack. The attackers asked for about $50,000 in ransom but the city chose not to pay the attackers, as it would only encourage similar criminal efforts.

What Is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that is more complicated than typical malware. It basically locks up your data and holds it for a ransom. Unless you pay a fee set by the attacker, you will lose our data indefinitely. There are two types of ransomware. The first type encrypts your entire hard drive and actually locks you out of your entire computer. The second type encrypts only what seems to be important files such as word documents, PDFs, and images.

 

Ransomware locks your data and holds it for ransom

 

What Is Your Best Defense Against Ransomware Attacks?

Your best defense against a ransomware attack is to be properly prepared before it happens. Experts highly recommend investing in software updates, backups, and network segmentation, which will genuinely pay off in the long run for companies and institutions if they are ever attacked by ransomware. It costs less to take the precautionary measures to protect your company against a ransomware attack than it does to recover your data during such an emergency. According to wired.com, upgrades made before an attack occurs could cost about $100,000 while the same upgrades made in an emergency situation would probably cost you about $300,000, about three times more than if you prepared ahead of time!

 

 

Make sure you have your data backed up offsite

 

 

Preventative Steps to Protect Against Ransomware Attacks

1. Back Up Your Data

The most important thing that you can do to keep your data safe against the threat of ransomware is to have a reliable backup system. The saying “When in doubt – move it out!” applies to your digital files. When it comes to storing your data in another location, you have a couple of choices.

Use a Data Center: You can have your important files backed up at an off-site facility. This means using the services of a secure data center that you are able to access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That way, if your data is held for ransom, you won’t need to pay the fee, but instead can recover it from your most recent backups. Your data will be safe, accessible, and you won’t need to support any criminal activity by paying a hacker to get your information returned to you.

Back Up Your Files On the Cloud: If your business is smaller and you need a more economical form of safe data storage, you can take advantage of cloud services such as cloud backup. Cloud backup allows you to store your data in a different location than your physical business site to protect it from attacks on your local systems. Cloud backup service providers have secure servers to keep your critical data protected so if you are attacked, you won’t lose it and you can easily restore it.

 

 

Data centers keep their security software updated

 

 

2. Keep Your Security Software Up to Date

New ransomware appears regularly, so it is important that your security software is constantly updated. Storing your information at a reliable data center will ensure that your backups are safe. These colocation hosting centers are always updating their servers with the most recent and secure software available to combat malicious attacks.

3. Be Careful With Your Emails

One of the most common delivery methods for ransomware attacks is through emails that contain links and/or attachments. Make sure that you are aware of the source before opening email attachments. Enlisting the services of an email hosting service can give you further protection. Your provider will scan your inbound messages before they reach your mail server so that any damaging files will never reach your critical devices.

 

 

DSC can protect your data from ransomware attacks

 

 

Protect Your Business from Ransomware Attacks: Contact DSC Today

The ransomware crisis that happened in Georgia could have been prevented by using the services that DSC provides. Having a reliable disaster recovery plan in place would have meant that the data which took so much time and money to recover would have been quickly and easily recovered at a fraction of the cost. Investing in a plan today could save you in the long run.

Digital Service Consultants has been in business for more than 33 years so we’ve established strategic partnerships that have grandfathered us in at below industry rates. This means that we can and do pass along those savings to our customers. This is why DSC has the best and most flexible pricing including colocation pricing in Georgia.

 

 

Digital Services Consultants is a premier data center located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia in Buford, that offers you the best server colocation possible. Along with our top-notch server colocation, we provide a full range of internet- related and cloud services including cloud backup, system monitoring, software hosting, dedicated email, website development and implementation, web hosting, e-commerce, security, and a variety of related products and services. We also provide network support for Linus, Microsoft server and workstation platforms, Fortinet firewalls, and Cisco Systems. DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 30 years. Contact us today for all of your internet-related requirements.

 

 

 

“DSC has been fantastic, responsive and knowledgeable about any issues that come up. I first had contact with them when they informed me our backup internet was out, before I even knew it was down. Pro-active and very quick in resolving the issue. They’ve also been instrumental in stabilizing our network, and assisting with a backup solution. Both of which we were in dire need of. Really great group!” 
– Thomas Berg
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DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 33 years

 

DSC Gives Back to the Georgia Community

DSC is proud to be part of a thriving Georgia community and we care enough about our community to want to give something back. That is why we started the “Next Generation” training days. During the training, our students learned about the history of CPUs and GPUs. The training focused on the performance and success of different models and brands and which ones excelled during their various time periods. You can access an audio recording of the training on the DSC website for free. Click here to listen to this informative podcast.