5 steps to protect yourself against ransomware

With data and applications spread across the cloud, mobile devices, and hybrid environments, the challenge is daunting. How do you make your assets accessible and available at all times, even remotely, without compromising their security and exposing them to unnecessary risk?

An effective ransom strategy should help you reduce the risk and impact of any successful attack. Here are 5 steps you can take to fortify your defences.

1. Create a plan

If you haven’t been the target of an attack so far, all the better. It’s the perfect time to take the first step. Whatever protections you already have in place, your cybersecurity strategy needs to also include a recovery plan to deal with any successful attack.

By analyzing your business processes and technology needs, you can create a structured roadmap to help you quickly resume operations following an attack. Identify the applications that are critical to your business, establish response priorities, and set objectives in order to meet your SLAs.

2. Prevent attacks

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! A great deal of attacks can be blocked with the right security software and applications that protect your data.

For example, you might want to install continuously updated antivirus and firewall software on all devices that connect to your networks. Your strategy should also include all the software and platforms you use as a service (SaaS), such as Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.

In addition, consider shoring up the weakest link: your people. Educate your teams about the cyberthreats they may face. Teach them the difference between a legitimate email and an attempted attack.

3. Monitor your environment

Keep an eye out for any unusual changes or suspicious activity. With hybrid environments and data spread across the cloud, your physical servers, and your teams’ mobile devices, this task can seem overwhelming.

Make sure your data and backups are sound, so they’ll always be there when you need them. For a hassle-free solution, there are user-friendly tools you can deploy quickly for automatic intrusion detection and data compliance monitoring.

4. Restore your data

If an attack ever does breach your defences, you may be forced to rely on backups to keep things going. But simply downloading archives from the previous day isn’t enough to pick up where you left off. Your backups also have to comply with access rights and permissions so that everyone can continue working.

Opt for a powerful backup and recovery solution that can give you immediate copies of your important data, no matter where it is. Also make sure you have an overview that lets you quickly identify and restore the data and applications you need.

Automation scripts, the ability to move data quickly from one environment to another, and the option to perform full or granular system recovery are big advantages for getting back to business fast.

5. Test your plan

Be sure to test your protection and recovery plan regularly. Check that your systems can be restored quickly if needed to minimize interruptions.

When you’re stuck in downtime, every second counts and every minute costs. By running through your plans, you minimize downtime in the event of an actual incident and soften the financial impact of any successful ransomware attack.

Start now

Ransomware attacks pose a very real risk to your company’s operations. You can protect yourself against fast-moving threats like this with Commvault Complete Data Protection.

Supporting more than 40 cloud storage options in addition to your virtual machine environments, Commvault Complete Data Protection helps keep your data and applications secure and compliant, and ensures your business continuity. It’s all in a simple, intuitive interface that provides an overview of your systems.

To minimize the risks and potential impacts of ransomware attacks, just talk to our experts.