A recent report shared that another hospital was crippled by a ransomware attack, impacting patient care and ambulance emergency services in three states. Let’s call the creation of ransomware and related computer viruses what it is: criminal. So, why do hackers hack? The short answer is that cybercrime is highly lucrative. It has few repercussions, and computer users’ carelessness makes hackers’ jobs easy.
It’s All About Money
Hacking is a low-risk, high-reward crime. By stealing your sensitive information, such as credit card details or personal data, hackers can sell it to third parties or use it for fraud. In the case of ransomware, hackers will hold onto a company’s valuable data, demanding payment in exchange for its safe return.
The Benefit to Outsourcing
BaaS providers can be an indispensable partner for businesses that rely on data to make critical decisions. In addition to offering cloud storage solutions to protect data from unauthorized access, theft, and other forms of data loss, these providers offer recovery services so businesses can restore their data in the event of a disaster. They can also offer highly scalable infrastructure that can adapt to a business’s changing needs. BaaS keeps companies running by protecting their most valuable assets, their data, and frees CTOs to work on business-oriented tasks.
Cybercrime happens because hackers can exploit the carelessness of computer users. Clicking on an unfamiliar link or downloading an infected attachment opens the doors to hackers. They also prey on users who use weak passwords or do not update their software regularly. Ransomware attacks are destructive in nature. Hackers will gain access to your computer systems, seize your data, and demand payment in exchange for its return. It is an electronic shakedown.
Hospitals, universities, and government agencies are often the targets of ransomware attacks, but hackers may also target you—not because of who you are but because hackers know your data has value to you, and they are willing to bet you will pay to get it back.
Few Repercussions
When a crime like theft occurs, authorities investigate and bring criminals to justice. In the case of cybercrime, hackers face few repercussions. It is frustrating to us in IT because we know who these hackers are. Why can’t anyone stop them? Most cybercrime is committed by criminal collectives around the world, making it difficult for Interpol and the FBI to catch them. Even when authorities capture a hacker, they rarely face justice because many jurisdictions do not extradite cybercriminals, and their penalties are often minimal compared to the billions of dollars in loss they cause.
Prevent Cyberattacks
Our Ozone IT Services experts have seen hundreds of these cyberattacks. Thankfully, most are neither significant in their impact nor challenging to resolve, usually because companies have strong data backups and cybersecurity solutions in place. You can avoid these hacks altogether with an antivirus product for around $30/month.
The good news is that you can protect yourself from a cyberattack by implementing the following:
- Use antivirus software and keep it updated. The default tool in current versions of Windows works well.
- Have a firewall, preferably managed by someone.
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Conduct regular backups of critical data onsite and offsite.
- Keep your systems up-to-date and apply security patches promptly.
- Develop a business continuity plan as recommended by FEMA.
Each of us tries our best to protect the people and things we care about at home; cybersecurity and backups help protect us at work. If the country did steps one through five above, we could end ransomware as we know it. Learn more about IT disaster prevention and recovery with Ozone IT solutions.
