There’s no denying that cybersecurity has become a vital aspect of the business world in recent years. Security breaches can cost businesses millions and the skills gap continues to get wider and wider as education in the space lags. The result has been that cost of these attacks has gotten much worse, with a new report noting that the cost of ransomware in 2021 nearly quadrupled since 2020. Considering ransomware makes up a substantial percentage of all cyberattacks, hitting everything from colleges and hospitals to individuals and small businesses, it’s safe to say that getting this under control is important. But how? No, instead the White House went a bit more international by hosting the International Counter Ransomware Summit. At this two-day summit, officials from 36 different countries met in hopes of curbing the international epidemic of ransomware attacks. The goal of the summit is to create task forces that are equipped to disrupt ransomware attacks and develop better network of threat sharing to keep official a step ahead of these attackers. But what can you do to protect yourself from ransomware attacks? The easiest step is to make sure all your company devices are regularly updated. It may seem obvious, but even waiting a few days to install new device updates can leave them vulnerable to breach. On top of that, try to back up your data in a meaningful way, so that you can get access to it if you do unfortunately fall victim. Finally, you have to invest in cybersecurity. Ideally, you’ll get an IT department to handle your particular needs, but even getting set up with tools like antivirus software, password managers, and VPNs can go a long way in helping to guarantee your business stays safe from ransomware attacks.
