If your company data is breached, should you pay a ransom?

 

Organisations that have been attacked with ransomware face the prospect of their operations becoming gridlocked. This has prompted experts to increase warnings, urging anyone on the internet to back up their data and be on the alert for links and emails that are suspicious. Failing this, one has to either choose between paying the ransom or dealing with the consequences thereof. Experts urge officials not to pay, as much of a tough decision it can be.

Ransomware targets the workers who are on the front line and hackers lure them with links that look legitimate. When someone clicks on the link, hackers deliver software that allows them to encrypt data, making the computer network inaccessible. Hackers then demand a ransom to allow the hacked party to regain access to their data. No one is safe. It is not the data that they care about, it’s the money. Hackers view this exercise as their job. They could invade your house for example, change all the locks and then demand payment for the new keys. It’s all about money for them.

Organisations should ensure that they have backups in the cloud, as well as physical servers that can be separated from the system and stored off-site. Employees also need training as they are the first line of defence.

The damage to organisations that don’t have a backup can be extensive. If hackers can freeze a network, the organisations’ operations can come to a grinding halt. Ransomware is cheap to make and lucrative when it works, so it is expected to become a lot more prevalent in the years to come. Do not pay the ransom. If you pay, it encourages hackers and doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your data back. Emboldening cyber criminals only creates a pattern that hurts everyone. The best thing to do is to be prepared and rely on your IT experts to outline a recovery plan in the event of being hacked. Ideally one needs to prevent such criminal activity by managing IT security properly and ensuring that the organisation’s resources aren’t vulnerable to hackers.