How much does it cost to protect your company against ransomware?

Surprisingly, the answer to this question, “how much does it cost to protect your company against ransomware?” , it's simple, easy and objective: not much!

Unless your data, information and files are worthless…

Certainly, that is not the case. Nowadays, undeniably, data, files and information are among the greatest assets of companies – since, to a large extent, they are strategic and mean competitive advantage.

It's cheap to protect your business against ransomware

Just to illustrate how cheap it is to protect your company against ransomware , I propose a quick and unambiguous mental exercise. Let's go…

How much effort, time and money do you calculate that would be necessary to spend if all your data, files and information were deleted from your company's computers, smartphones, laptops and servers?

Imagine arriving at the company in the morning and nothing is accessible or working? Not just offline, but also blocked? From the website to the cell phone phonebook…

Think carefully! Not only needing to speak to a customer and not having access to contact details… As well as not delivering a good or service because the agenda and schedule are inaccessible and blocked… Or, not being able to charge or receive payment for the goods and services sold…

Probably, in situations like these, or even worse, what would be the loss for your company? Both financially, in image and reputation and in the relationship with your customers and the market?

Without a doubt, regardless of the value and commitment, if something like this occurred in your company, how long would it take to return to normal operations?

Although this mental exercise is important, you must be thinking that this is not a matter of imagination, but rather a nightmare!

In fact, without prior investment to protect your company against ransomware , returning to a normal operational level is practically impossible.

Perhaps, with these examples, you have already managed to “put together” some pieces of the terrible puzzle that is suffering a cyber attack .

Also, I'm sure, you monetized these situations and realized that, expensive, it's not protecting your company against ransomware .

Knowing is protecting your company against ransomware

In order to share information about the real threat and the risks and challenges of malicious attacks , over the last three weeks we have published a series of articles on our blog .

• DNS firewall for what?
• Does DNS firewall reduce the risk of ransomware attack?
• Renner case: would the DNS firewall have prevented the ransomware attack?

After all, “knowledge is power” . The phrase is from the English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626). In other words, the meaning of this aphorism is that, by knowing and understanding threats and challenges, this knowledge can generate practical results to face them and resources capable of overcoming them .

In fact, a warning about the need to invest in security and control of internet access . In this sense, Lumiun Internet Security offers efficient solutions to protect your company against ransomware and other malware.

Before we move on and conclude this series of articles that share information and super tips on how much it costs to protect your company against ransomware, watch the video below .

Lots of money, kidnappings and extortion: RANSOMWARE is robbing Brazil.

This is the title of the video in which the editor of the Tecmundo website, Felipe Payão, presents a good summary about cyber attacks and why it is important to protect your company against ransomware .

Protecting your company against ransomware is quick, easy and cheap

Contrary to what the subtitle above expresses, in the previous section, we saw how much effort and money would be needed if there were no investments to protect your company against ransomware.

No matter how small your company and operation may be, it is clear that it would be expensive and require a lot of effort .

But, the good news is that, perhaps, if there are resources (financial and human) “resetting” your company and restarting your entire activity from scratch would be possible. Although it is also very laborious and quite expensive…

However, I hope you noticed, we only talk about effort and money…

Therefore, we still have an important aspect to consider: time!

After a ransomware attack, did you know that the average downtime in Q2 2021 was 23 days?

This is according to the Coveware Quarterly Ransomware Report , dated July 23, 2021. The North American company Coveware specializes in intermediating the negotiation of ransomware incidents.

Furthermore, according to this report, this average number of days of inactivity is 15% lower when compared to the average for the 1st quarter of 2021.

In fact, time is a resource over which no company has control. Unlike labor and money, which, with greater or lesser ease, can be allocated.

Currently, customers and users demand total availability of goods and services, at any time, at any time. Not meeting consumers' needs or expectations can cost a business or a contract .

Furthermore, the damage to a company's reputation and image can be irreparable .

This is why suspension, discontinuation or stoppage of business activity are considered the most harmful and expensive consequences of not protecting your company against ransomware .

Recovery time is critical against ransomware

Prevention is key when it comes to protecting your company against ransomware. Mainly because it is what will allow for shorter recovery time in the event of a cyber incident.

Without a doubt, the ability to recover data and restore your company's operations after a ransomware attack is directly linked to the investment in protecting your company against ransomware .

Mainly, because preventive measures can avoid the worst-case scenario and minimize losses, by reducing the interest of malicious attacks .

However, it is always good to remember that no company is free from cyber attacks .

In this video, Ransomware: what it is and how to protect yourself , you can see more tips on how to protect your company against ransomware .

Internet access control and security actions to protect your company against ransomware

The pandemic, in fact, caused an acceleration in the digital transformation of businesses.

As a result, the rapid increase in connectivity between companies, people and devices has led to an increase in risks associated with the vulnerability of systems and users to malware, phishing, ransomware, hackers, viruses and many other threats.

Lumiun Internet Security provides useful internet management and security solutions to protect your company against ransomware , whether small, medium or large.

Above all, because it offers services that, at the same time, enable more security and productivity on the internet , as well as more profit for your ISP provider and more security and control over the subscriber's internet .

Adopting an information security culture is certainly an important step towards protecting your company against ransomware .

In this sense, see 10 super internet security tips for small and medium-sized companies .

1. Use secure passwords for all users and devices.
2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
3. Protect and control internet access.
4. Use antivirus on all computers.
5. Register and limit network traffic with a Firewall.
6. Have backup copies of important data.
7. Keep software always up to date.
8. Restrict permissions on shared files.
9. Educate employees about phishing and social engineering.
10. Implement a policy for the use of IT resources.

But after all, how much does it cost to protect your company against ransomware?

Firstly, to respond assertively to this question, it is necessary to debunk cybersecurity myths . Be that as it may, the fact is that anyone who thinks that digital security for small and medium-sized companies is like perfumery is very mistaken.

Since, even with an unfavorable economic scenario, avoiding cyber attacks can directly and positively influence a company's revenue .

That is, compared, the amounts needed to do what needs to be done and in the way it should be done, are much smaller than the costs and losses resulting from a cyberattack .

Ultimately, protecting your company against ransomware is the smartest and most strategic attitude when faced with the possibility of losing customer trust and tarnishing your reputation .

In fact, there is little care when it comes to your company's reputation and finances. Although this alert is useful for many situations, it is particularly excellent when it comes to complying with the LGPD .

Mainly because the fines are heavy if companies do not take necessary measures to comply with the principles of safety and prevention , as required by law.

Three cost centers to protect your company against ransomware

Without a doubt, IT infrastructure survey , user training and protection tools (backup, firewall, DNS filter, systems update and Corporate VPN) are three relevant cost centers for protecting your company against ransomware.

In this sense, there is another myth to be demystified about internet management and security: the high and unfeasible cost of protecting your company against ransomware and other cybercrimes .

In fact, efficient data security, even if basic, was once very expensive and even unfeasible for some companies .

However, the evolution of cyber attacks has led to the financial adjustment of the price of protection systems, making them accessible to small and medium-sized companies .

IT infrastructure survey

For the IT infrastructure to function properly, at least these aspects need to be observed.

1. Hardware and software inventory – An accurate survey of all equipment, devices and applications.

This list must enumerate:

• the number of computers available;
• whether and what antivirus is installed on the equipment;
• the storage capacity of each machine;
• installed software and operating systems , as well as their versions;
• the time of use of each notebook, smartphone and computer;
• types and quantities of installed hosts ; and finally,
• whether the equipment supports operating system updates . 

2. Assessment of depreciation and acquisition cost – Assess whether computers, smartphones, laptops and peripherals have an adequate useful life for data security . Also, whether the equipment guarantees the security and possibility of backing up the data stored on them. Otherwise, they must be discarded.

Likewise, evaluate the company's financial capacity to support investments and software updates and the upgrade of equipment and devices. Especially updating operating systems and software, which are extremely important for data security.

Therefore, keeping equipment, devices and systems always up to date is essential for efficient data security, as they are used constantly . 

3. Vulnerability analysis and risk management – ​​Know the weak and vulnerable points of your company’s internet management and security. This is the first step in correctly evaluating and planning the investments necessary to minimize risks and protect your company against ransomware and other cyber attacks .

Keeping sensitive data, strategic information and files and equipment always accessible and available must be the priority guideline.

User training

Establishing data security policies and ensuring that all employees and users receive training to adopt responsible and safe behaviors is essential.

Even though training and training employees has a low cost (compared to other information security actions and initiatives), these activities should not be relegated to the background.

Especially since it is through users that more than half of malicious attacks occur. Mainly, through the social engineering technique known as phishing .

It is characterized by a fraudulent act in an attempt to obtain confidential and sensitive data and information. The main phishing technique and point of contact is the exchange of messages (via email, applications or other tools).

Protection Tools

1. Backup – functional and reliable backup system is essential so that data can be recovered in the event of loss or ransomware attack. It is one of the main strategies and measures to protect your company against ransomware.
2. Firewall – Hardware and/or software that monitors and controls the flow of data and internet access on a network, in accordance with each company's security policy. Above all, a firewall makes it possible to filter incoming and outgoing traffic and grant or prevent specific and malicious access , in accordance with a set of legal and/or previously defined rules.
3. DNS Filter – A solution that manages access and security rules for data flows and traffic based on DNS (Domain Name System) queries. It allows, from origin to destination, flow and traffic only to interesting and useful addresses, filtering harmful and malicious ones . Therefore, it is important to define and prioritize rules, controls and a risk assessment regarding data .
4. Systems updates – Updated operating systems and software undergo continuous evolution in quality, security and performance. Additionally, “originality” is important to keep them safe and trustworthy . Opting for pirated tools can lead to several data security problems. After all, modified versions do not have the same security or verification features as the originals.
5. Business VPN – A solution that brings external collaborators together and brings them all together on a single network. Likewise, this process contributes to increasing safety and productivity. The acronym VPN , which stands for Virtual Private Network, is a technology that uses the internet to connect a group of computers and, above all, maintain the security of data that travels over this network. Furthermore, the pandemic made this technology even more relevant. Especially due to remote work, working from home .

Finally, we can say that, even though essential investments in security and internet access control may “weigh” on a company's cash flow, they will always be advantageous, preferable and cheaper compared to the alternative: not protecting your company. against ransomware .

As a suggestion for continuing this reading, the page What is DNS Firewall and 7 reasons to use it in your company is a good continuation of reading this text. You can also download the content from this page and share it with those who also need this content.