Viruses spread like wildfire. Once they’re in, you may never know where or when it will end. Now, I’m not talking about new diseases and sicknesses that effect your health, I’m referring to the viruses on your computers and servers. But just like diseases that affect your immune system, computer viruses can cause severe damage to your business and your peace of mind.
Businesses experience viruses and attacks daily. Now, the severity of the attack depends on your “immune system’s” capacity to fight it off. In this case we are referring to the security tools and protections you have in place to get rid of viruses and secure your computer network.
Here’s a story you might be familiar with. Recently, the Albany (N.Y) International Airport was breached and had their entire network locked down by Ransomware, meaning they had to shell out tons of money to unlock their computers.
The attack stemmed from their MSP who had their management network breached. This led to the ransomware virus spreading to the airport’s servers and backup servers. Many of the MSP’s clients had been hacked and locked out, but most of them were able to recover their data using their backup systems. However, Albany County Airport wasn’t so lucky.
Albany County Airport had several gaps in their security protections, which caused the infection to have an even greater impact. To start, they had old and poor configured equipment. The equipment was co-managed by airport personnel. Their MSP had advised on adequate backup systems and equipment, but implementing these recommendations was beyond their control. In addition, their backup system was integrated with the main system, which essentially defeated the purpose of the backup, as both machines were now vulnerable to attack.
The Ransomware attack compromised administrative and financial documents, but no traveler’s data was encrypted. In addition, the airport was able to continue operations as the TSA and airlines computers weren’t breached. Even still, the Albany County Airport paid a five-figure ransom in Bitcoin. Two hours later, they received the encryption key and were able to restore their data.
Attacks can happen to anyone. That’s why it’s so important you have all the tools in place to protect you. BUT, on off chance you do get compromised, it’s important that you have solutions in place to help you recover and get you back to normal as quickly as possible. That means effective, properly configured backups.
If you’re worried about the stability of equipment, or if you’d like to confirm that you have adequate solutions to protect your business from a threat, give us a call at (416) 966 -3306 and we’ll be happy to help.