Unfortunately, once ransomware takes root, companies are guaranteed to pay a hefty sum to restore their services and operations. Whether paying hackers to decrypt information or hiring cybersecurity specialists to restore from backups, the price tag can be enormous. When coupled with the opportunity costs that accompany system outages, the ROI on preventative measures becomes obvious in the face of ransomware and other attack vectors.

More and more small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are starting to integrate the latest technology into their operations to improve productivity. This means that having a disaster recovery plan (DRP) should no longer be an option, but an essential part of your business to ensure it can fully recover after a disaster.

Reputation management and restoration is a critical component of an effective data breach response plan. Although it’s more difficult to quantify than direct financial losses, reputational damage can be extremely problematic for any company and even place their ability to recover in jeopardy.

Healthcare providers are increasingly caught in the crosshairs of ransomware attacks, as cybercriminals capitalize on the critical nature of their services and the quality of information stored. The industry as a whole already faces strong regulatory oversight that can have costly consequences for healthcare companies that succumb to a breach.

Despite advanced security practices and other defensive efforts, phishing scams will inevitably make their way into employees’ inboxes. Fortunately, such messages can be rendered harmless, unless they are acted upon by an employee. Every business can enhance its defensive posture by providing comprehensive awareness training to keep employees abreast of the latest threats and the best practices for protecting company data.