Ransomware Attacks Out of Control - Are Your Files Protected?

    NEW YORK, NY, August 24, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- CompCiti Business Solutions, Inc. wants to remind its clients - and indeed all businesses and organizations in New York City - that ransomware is a growing problem. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. CompCiti has them covered both ways.

"There are ways you can protect yourself from ransomware attacks, such as updating your anti-virus software and backing up your files," said Sam Vohra, Vice President and co-founder of CompCiti. "But then there are other, more advanced ways that CompCiti can help protect your data."

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 20, 2016, that ransomware attacks are spiking in the United States. In 2015, ransomware attacks cost victims about $24 million. But in the first three months of 2016 alone, that number has exploded to $209 million - and every indication is that it's growing exponentially. Right now, there are on average 4,000 attacks per day in the United States.

"I'm sure it's making companies all across New York wonder, is our data safe?" Vohra said.

According to the report, the reason for the spike is thought to be the rise of Bitcoin as a digital - and essentially untraceable - currency, which makes it easier for hijackers to get their money and disappear. Ransom demands, averaging $1,000 to $2,000, require the victim to buy Bitcoins and send them to an anonymous account. At least one recorded ransom was $30,000.

The vast majority of attacks originate through email. An unsuspecting employee opens a malicious email, which installs software to lock up your corporate network's files. The software then presents a ransom demand with a time limit. Pay up, or lose your files forever...

CompCiti Business Solutions can help reduce your risks in several ways.

Some of the strategies the company uses are basic: CompCiti keeps clients' spam and anti-virus software up to date, and sets up refined backup systems.

There are also more advanced protections. CompCiti can essentially prevent ransomware from irretrievably locking files and data. Vohra didn't want to reveal what amounts to industry secrets, but he said it's somewhat like applying a Teflon coating to your data.

"Even if the software gets downloaded to your computer network, it doesn't 'stick.' We can dig out all your data - often even data from the same day as the attack - without paying a dime of ransom. The best-case scenario is no data loss and minimal downtime, not to mention thousands of dollars in saved ransom and lost business," Vohra said.

(Here's how CompCiti helped one New York firm after it was attacked by ransomware earlier this year: https://compciti.com/news-release-compciti-slays-the-ransomware-dragon/.)

Thanks to these techniques, CompCiti can both reduce the chance of a ransomware attack on an organization and increase the chance of getting rid of any ransomware without ever paying the ransom.

You can read the whole Wall Street Journal article here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-the-bitcoin-era-ransomware-attacks-surge-1471616632.

About CompCiti
CompCiti Business Solutions, Inc., provides clients what few other IT companies in New York can: expertise and insights developed since business networking began. CompCiti creates and maintains high-quality network, IT, and Cloud systems to ensure reliability and efficiency - all delivered with unsurpassed customer service. CompCiti now offers VoIP installation for inexpensive phone solutions. CompCiti is a Microsoft Silver Certified Partner. Installations, maintenance, and 24/7 emergency service since 1996. We're Working When You Are. CompCiti.com

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