{"id":29866,"date":"2021-11-22T09:22:09","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T17:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grapevinemsp.com\/?p=29866"},"modified":"2023-05-05T10:33:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T10:33:52","slug":"safety-never-takes-a-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grapevinemsp.com\/safety-never-takes-a-holiday\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety Never Takes a Holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"computer<\/a><\/p>\n

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there\u2019s never been a more important time to shore up your mission-critical infrastructure and protect your business. A recent study predicts ransomware hackers are likely to hit over the next six weeks \u2013 between Thanksgiving and New Year\u2019s \u2013 and that some companies and consumers are not prepared to respond to stop the attacks. Cybereason, a Boston-based cyber analytics company, shared the findings of more than 1,000 companies who have already been victims of ransomware. According to the survey results, nearly 9 out of 10 people are worried about holiday cyberattacks, but only 1 in 4 don\u2019t have plans in place to be able to respond quickly. Additionally, 7 out of 10 individuals have been on vacation or off for the weekend when the attacks have occurred. Even worse, some have admitted to being drunk when falling for ransomware attacks!<\/p>\n

Ransomware Attacks Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible to the victim. It is generally distributed through email phishing, malvertising (malicious advertising), social engineering, and exploit kits. After ransomware is distributed, it encrypts selected files and notifies the victim of the required payment.<\/p>\n

Payment can range from a few hundred dollars to a few million, and once the ransom is paid, the attacker sends a decryption key to restore access to the victim’s data. Typically, payment is demanded in the form of a cryptocurrency, such as bitcoins.<\/p>\n

How does a ransomware attack\u00a0begin?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first step in any ransomware attack involves the\u00a0cybercriminal\u00a0gaining access to your computer. From there,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0simple for\u00a0them to gain the permissions they need to install the ransomware.<\/p>\n

After\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0quietly installed,\u00a0the ransomware springs into action, encrypting valuable files so they can\u2019t be accessed by anyone other than the hacker. After that, the\u00a0hacker will usually\u00a0get in touch to let you know what\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0done and set a ransom amount they want in\u00a0exchange for the security of your files.<\/p>\n

How do hackers\u00a0initially\u00a0gain\u00a0access to your computer?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are\u00a0many different ways\u00a0for\u00a0hackers to access your system. The\u00a02\u00a0most common are:<\/p>\n