Something to consider: There is a greater risk of Malware attacks than ever.

These cyber threats are hitting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) harder than ever before. Meaning you need to know how to defend your business.

First, what exactly is malware?

It’s the digital equivalent of germs that make you sick. Malware (malicious software) is similar to a flu virus,just a digital version. It sneaks into your computer systems or networks and can wreak havoc in many ways.

What sort of malware are we talking about?

According to a recent report, these are a the most troublesome: Information-stealing malware, ransomware, and business email compromise (BEC).

Why should you care about malware? Consider this. Business is running smoothly things are good, then things come to a screeching halt, A malware attack hits.

Suddenly, files are encrypted, systems are locked down, and now you are a hostage held for ransom.

This is nightmare, and it happens all too often.

This is a reality for many SMBs that face malware attacks. There is a lot of collateral damage to your reputation, youroperations, and your customers’ trust.

However, there ways to fight malware to keep your business safe:

Educate the team

Employees are the first line of defense. Once they learn to spot phishing emails (an email pretending to be from someone you trust), suspicious links they become empowered and feel confident. A little awareness goes a long way.

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Lock up your devices

Are your computers and devices equipped with the best software to mitigate attacks? This is crucial to ensure a good night’s rest.

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Back it up

Regularly back up your data to secure offsite locations. There are many ways to do this now with cloud-based solutions.By doing this you’ll have a backup plan (literally) to restore your files.

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Fortify the network

Network security is foundational. There is only one thing that stands between your business and the internet, a firewall.A good firewall, properly configured, will go a long way to stop attackers. Addencryption, and other powerful weapons to combat the bad guys. We can help with all of that.

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Be skeptical

ABC. Aways Be Cautious... of suspicious emails or requests for sensitive information. Attackers use two primal instincts to motivate you to click on their shady links: Fear and Urgency. When you see an email that says your bank account is frozen and you need to click on a link to log in immediately, you are being attacked. Always double-check the sender’s identity and never clickon risky links or attachments.

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Make a plan

Prepare an incident response plan for dealing with malware attacks. This is your emergency playbook, with steps for containing the threat, recovering your data, and reporting the incident. Having this will go a long way to keep your calm, if you find yourself in a bad situation.

Seems like a lot to take in, however,knowledge is power. We help our clients with all these things and more, so they don’t have to worry about it. If you think you need help too, get in touch.

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