Like all Virus and Malware issues, it’s difficult to give 100% protection against Ransomware. It is, by its very nature, sneaky and devious and can fool even the best of us.
However, you can take steps to minimise the risk.
Backups.
We’ve been saying this for years, backup, backup up regularly. If you are backing up locally, we would advise using two external drives. Alternate them on a nightly basis. If the worst comes to the worst, at least one of your backups will not be infected.
We would also suggest using a cloud based backup solution. It’s off site and not connected directly to your Server/PC.
Antivirus Software
Keep you Antivirus software up to date. Don’t skip updates as new virus/malware programs are released daily. We use and recommend Eset Antivirus.
Email and Internet
If possible, switch to a cloud based email service like Google Apps for Business or Office 365. Cloud based services scan your email for dodgy attachments/spam/virus and will deal with the problem before it reaches your inbox.
If you receive a suspicious email purporting to contain an invoice or a document for you or your business, don’t open the attachment. If the sender looks familiar, check with them to see why they are sending you the document. If you can’t get an answer or reply, I would suggest ignoring it or deleting it. If the email is legitimate, they will send a follow up email.
Likewise, be careful when browsing the internet. Many of the less reputable sites out there will try to force you to download software on to your PC. Worst case scenario is that your PC will get infected with Ransomware. Best case scenario is you’ll have a PC full of malware!
So, to recap:
- Backup daily.
- Keep your Antivirus Software up to date.
- Don’t open email attachments from unknown or dubious sources.
- Play safe on the internet.
