By: Alex Haile – System Administrator

Over the last couple of months, and years Cyber-attacks are on the rise. Ransom-ware is taking the centre-stage. The dreaded “Your files have been encrypted” is causing night-mares for CEO, CISO alike.

Manitoulin Transport fell prey to a major ransom ware attack this year in July. Some other big names in Canada that got breached are carriers Fuel Transport and Indian River Express, customs broker Axxess International and Beler Holdings, a customs broker and distribution company. Nobody is safe anymore.

The direct payouts are huge, causing significant financial distress to the victim – however, the reputational loss is even bigger. Just paying the malicious agents may get your operations back on feet, but it doesn’t guarantee that your confidential information is not sitting out there open in the dark internet, available for anybody who wants to take a peak.

So, what are the top two steps can you pro-actively take to protect yourself, your confidential information, money in the bank and finally your company’s reputation:

1. Train your employees. Phishing is one of primary attack vectors used by cyber attackers to initiate a ransom ware attack. Your employees are your best line of defence.

2. Invest in a good backup system. If you have a good backup policy, you can get your operations back on track within no time, in the event of a ransom ware attack.