To be stuck in a ransomware situation is one of the worst things management of any company can be faced with. It is one of the easiest and quickest ways to rack in money from the victims. While all the big corporates are investing tremendously in cybersecurity. Ransomware still remains a potential threat at large. That is feared by many companies and corporations in this ever so fast-growing cyber world. With the first instances appearing in the year 2005, more than $11 billion has been lost through ransomware so far.
Better be safe than sorry – in case of any unfortunate event. The following is a list of decisions that must be taken by the company management in order to handle the ransomware situation.
Find the root & filter it
There are many ways someone can infect your system. Two of the most common ways, however, include a link or an email attachment. As soon as you open them, you’re faced with a message demanding ransom. At this point, all the files and data on your system are at risk of loss. So, in a situation like that, it is vital to find a particular device that is infected. Depending upon your system, you can filter out the particular infected device and disconnect it from other devices in the system. So that the infection does not spread to other devices and no more crucial data is at risk.
Reach out to the concerned authorities
The incidents of ransomware have gradually increased. Companies today are aware of the sensitivity of ransomware situations, which is why many companies house special IT teams, especially for such situations. When hit with a ransomware attack, alert the concerned authorities immediately. Smaller companies that house no security IT teams, must immediately report the incident to the cybercrime.
Search for decryption tools
In some cases, the ransomware removal can be done by using the decryption tools if you are aware of the type of ransomware.
Take a decision
If none of the above works, you are faced with a decision whether to pay up or lose all your files. While it is suggested not to pay up since it further brings ransomware into the limelight as the easiest way to make quick money. The decision, however, lies greatly on how important the information is for you. If it is crucial, paying up a few hundred dollars may seem like a sensible idea. But if the information on the device does not mean much to you, feel free to ignore the message and reinstall the entire operating system.
Run an antivirus program
Once you’re done with your effort for ransomware removal, run an antivirus on the device. This will help go through each file present on the system and detect if it poses a threat to your device. Much of the cyberattack clues are found in the metadata. A good anti-malware program will immediately alert you if something fishy is detected.