Avoid The Ransomware Epidemic Going On Right Now

Today a massive Ransomware attack was deployed and hit a reported 99 counties around the globe. More than 75,000 businesses and government entities around the world have been affected. Ransomware is not a joke and it is something that we deal with often with non-clients who call us frantically looking for guidance. Right now your company most likely does not have protection against Ransomware, it’s a statistical fact. In this article I will explain what Ransomware is, and what your firm or company needs to do in order to prevent it. The point of this article is to educate and organize your I.T. so you never have to worry about Ransomware. Ransomware is totally avoidable if you prepare for it.

What is Ransomware?

Today’s Ransomware attack is spreading through a Windows exploit and will only affect you if your operating system is not 100% patched. Normally, Ransomware is received through fraudulent email attachments that are unknowingly executed by the end user. The email looks real and even comes from someone you may know, but the attachment which may be a word or PDF document is fake. Once opened, it executes an encryption application encrypting all your workstation documents as well as documents on your network. The end result being every document and picture becoming encrypted, unable to open. Once totally encrypted you’ll find files on your desktop with instructions on how to decrypt your files by paying a ransom. The ransom is usually 3-5 bitcoin (internet currency) which is about $4,800 – $8,000 as I write this. The USD amount per bitcoin fluctuates. Today the ransom appears to be a mere $300 per attack. Also, you have a time limit to pay. If you wait, the ransom increases and eventually terminates leaving your files inaccessible. Ransomware puts companies out of business. Today’s attack is unprecedented and this type of attack will most definitely occur more frequently.

Avoid Ransomware 100% with Cloud Technologies

No system is safe from Ransomware. The key to a successful anti-Ransomware solution is minimizing the downtime that it causes and attempting to avoid it altogether. Our clients on the cloud simply have no fear of Ransomware. Due to our advanced backup methods and customized cloud based work environment along with advanced anti-Ransomware security, if a client were to contract Ransomware, their cloud server could be shut down and restored to a prior backup within 10 minutes. That’s 10 minutes total downtime with absolutely no ransom paid.

Rekall Cloud is the ultimate anti-Ransomware tool to fight against downtime caused by Ransomware, Viruses, Malware & Spyware. In the cloud your work experience is identical to how you work right now. All you applications will work as well. You can work from anywhere, at anytime and from any device, Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone or iPad. On the cloud there is no need for office servers, maintenance, or the headaches that they bring. If your server is aging and your tired of playing the 5-year-server-upgrade-game, give us a call and avoid it all. On the cloud, you will never have to purchase office servers again.

Avoid This Ransomware Attack Right Now, Here’s How

Patch Your Operating Systems Regularly  |  Rekall automatically patches client operating systems automatically through the Rekall Technologies Cloud Management Console. Within this console all client devices are added and patched on a schedule automatically. Patches are pre-approved by Rekall staff and deployed out to our over 100 law firms and client devices. This service is offered to all Rekall clients both on and off the cloud, if your I.T. company is not proactively patching your systems, you must call Rekall. We do this for free as it is our standard due to it being a top priority for proactive security.

Anti-Ransomware Email Spam Filtering Services  |  Ransomware most commonly comes through email. Rekall offers enterprise level email spam filtering that automatically blocks harmful email and spam protecting against Viruses, Spyware, Malware & Ransomware. With over 100 law firms nationwide, Rekall blocks on average 20 Ransomware attempted emails per day. Not all spam filters block Ransomware but ours does. If yours does not, your I.T. company is not protecting you the way they should and is not keeping up with latest threats, you must call Rekall.

Anti-Ransomware Enterprise Level Firewall Services  |  All law firms on the Rekall Cloud are protected by Rekall’s enterprise level firewall protecting our clients against Viruses, Spyware, Malware & Ransomware. All Rekall clients having traditional I.T. setups with servers residing in the office have our Enterprise Level Firewalls protecting their data onsite as well. If you have a Sonicwall or Watchguard firewall, you are not protected against web based Ransomware attacks. You must call Rekall.

Backup Your Data in a Smart Way  |  DO NOT BACKUP TO A USB DRIVE ATTACHED TO YOUR WORKSTATION OR SERVER. This is typical among small firms. Ransomware will encrypt all USB devices attached to the network. A good backup will be your only saving grace if and when your firm gets hit by Ransomware. You must have a cloud backup and that backup must be an image level backup of your servers. The backup must take snapshots of the state of your server at least once a day, save it up to the cloud, and hold at least 30 days of snapshots. Restoration must be quick within an hour or 2 at the most. If you have a cloud backup that doesn’t take daily snapshots, your backup will run after Ransomware strikes and will encrypt your entire backup. The same thing will happen if you backup to USB. Ransomware will encrypt the data on the drive and that backup is now a dead backup forcing you pay the ransom.

Save Important Data to the Server  |  All important data MUST be stored on the server or within the firms document management system or firm management software. In this way everyone has access to the data and the data is centrally managed. Correctly executed server backups will save your firm data in the case of Ransomware. If you work on a file locally and your firm gets hit by Ransomware but you never saved the file back to the server, you just lost that file or forced the firm to pay an entire ransom to get your one file back.