When it comes to ransomware attacks, it’s no longer a question of if or even when, but how often. A business falls victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds, making ransomware the fastest-growing type of cybercrime. Businesses today need to not only think about strategies to prevent ransomware, but how to protect and recover their data should they fall victim to an attack. After all, it’s not just your data that goes down — it’s your entire business.
The attack on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is one of many examples of the importance of a proper backup and recovery strategy. SEPA had more than 4,000 digital files stolen by hackers. Though it had backup systems in place, the agency has been unable to recover all of its data sets. It could take years for it to fully recover.
But recovering from a ransomware attack doesn’t have to be so uncertain, nor such a laborious process. With the right strategies in place, businesses can quickly and safely recover from a ransomware attack and get back up and running without significant downtime. Outlined below are the key steps businesses should keep in mind.
How to Restore Data After a Ransomware Attack
The first thing to do when dealing with a ransomware attack is to assess your options for recovery. This may mean a complete bottom-up approach — reinstalling systems along with recovery of data — or it may mean making do with smaller data sets that can be recovered quickly. Depending on the desired outcome, here are some important options to consider:
Your best recovery option will depend on how widespread the attack is and your level of preparedness. It’s important to take the time now to understand these different recovery options, so you can act quickly and ensure your businesses stays up and running after an attack.
Improve Your Ransomware Resiliency
The best time to build your ransomware resiliency is before you face an attack, but it may be too late for that. You need to take the right measures to ensure your business isn’t vulnerable again. As a baseline, here are five steps you should take to improve your ransomware resiliency:
Get Additional Support
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and truthfully, no organization is safe. But government and the entire industry are working to combat this growing threat.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help from industry experts on recovering from a ransomware attack and preventing another one in the future. Seek support from vendors that offer ransomware protection and help businesses develop protection and recovery strategies. You’ve probably got a lot of questions, and they have the answers.
There may never be a finish line, or a point where we can say, “We did it—we solved the ransomware threat.” But by ensuring your data-storage and backup/restore strategies are strong and secure, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you’re doing the right things to minimize loss, accelerate recovery and keep your business up and running.
Alex Restrepo is part of the Virtual Data Center Solutions team at Veritas Technologies.
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