The Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report found that ransomware attacks are increasing year-on-year in greater increments than in the past five years combined. It also revealed that four out of five breaches were attributed to organised crime, 82% were caused by human error or involvement, and that 25% were as a result of social engineering. According to Statista, 236.1 million ransomware attacks took place, globally, at the start of 2022 – that’s just the start of the year. In 2021, that number for the whole year was 623.2 million compared with a total of 304 million in 2020. In short, ransomware’s reach is getting longer.
However, ransomware is still often the forgotten security risk when companies plan their data protection strategies and put security on the boardroom table. Even though it sits at the top of most lists that cite the most dangerous cybercrime attacks of all time. WannaCry in 2017 that brought many companies to their knees, the Colonial Pipeline attack of 2021 that almost brought a country to its knees, and so many more – all ransomware, all very effective.
These attacks have split the world into two halves. Those that have experienced a data breach as a result of ransomware and now live in fear of it happening again; and those who don’t realise that they’ve already been breached. Hackers can sit in the walls of the organisation for months before they trigger the ransomware – many stay for years. This allows them to gain access to all the systems, including backups, so that there is no way for the company to avoid paying the ransom.
Which is why every organisation should have a digital airbag in place. This is your ransomware protection plan, your data protection investment, and your use of third-party service providers to ensure that your security is always on and always ready, 24/7/365. When disaster strikes, when the company hits the proverbial wall, this digital airbag is ready to catch you and keep you safe. In the cybersecurity realm, disaster is an inevitability. No company is immune to attack. Cybercrime is a multi-billion-dollar business with call centres, agents, writers, hackers and experts all paid wonderful salaries to meet key performance indicators such as: penetrate, attack, infiltrate and steal. Third-party service providers who offer data protection as a service and that have hands-on and skilled people ready to provide immediate support are a trusted investment for companies of all sizes.
Strategix offers data protection as a service and has the proven skills and expertise that your company can rely on for backup, disaster recovery, firewalls and data protection. Currently, there is a dire need for cybersecurity experts and skilled people who can ensure that companies are safe and that employees have the training they need to keep it that way. Strategix has those people, and has the experience you can rely on to make sure that your world isn’t split into two halves – you’ll dodge the breach and you’ll know that one hasn’t snuck in past your defences.
Strategix is able to deliver world-class data backup, disaster recovery and business continuity as a service. Discover how we are delivering Rubrik data protection as a service and build yourself a ransomware-proof wall right here.
