According to a report by Malwarebytes, 22% of SMBs affected by ransomware have no choice but to cease operations.
Ransomware is one of the most dangerous cyber threats, especially for businesses. According to a report published by Malwarebytes, a well-known cybersecurity expert, a portion of SMBs affected by ransomware are forced to stop production.
Exactly 22% of small and medium-sized businesses, in fact, according to the “Second Annual State of Ransomware Report” by Malwarebytes, have no choice but to cease operations. The survey shows that one-third of the companies surveyed experienced a hacking attack last year. The study was conducted on a sample of over 1000 companies and involved several countries: North America, France, the UK, Germany, Australia and Singapore. The research highlights the fragility of corporate cybersecurity and the risks companies face. For example, according to the Malwarebytes report, 1 in 6 companies have had to shut down production for up to 25 hours.
Ransomware Damage
If a company is forced to shut down, it risks losing money. In fact, 15 percent of small and medium-sized businesses affected by a ransomware attack have experienced a drop in revenue. The “Second Annual State of Ransomware Report” also draws attention to another element: the level of priority that companies surveyed give to ransomware. Although, the study says, 75 percent consider the threat to be very important, more than half of businesses say they are unable to deal with it.
How ransomware spreads
And there’s more. For some companies, it becomes difficult to pinpoint where the ransomware attack originated, resulting in the infection quickly spreading throughout the entire computer network.
Email is confirmed as one of the main channels hackers use to target businesses. While in the United States, 37% of attacks came via an attachment and 22% via a link, in Europe the figure is slightly lower: 22% of small and medium-sized businesses have been infected by ransomware because of an email attachment.
No ransom payments
Most SMBs involved in the survey consider it wrong to submit to demands from hackers. In fact, 72% of companies say you should never pay ransoms (as it is known, the main feature of ransomware is that it locks devices and asks for money in return).
How to protect yourself
First of all, a small and medium-sized business should start investing more in cybersecurity. And not just from a technical standpoint, but from a training standpoint as well. In fact, the company’s main weak link is the employee. The company should aim to create a culture of cybersecurity.
To limit attacks, however, the usual advice always applies. In fact, it is necessary to avoid clicking on unknown links or opening suspicious attachments. It is also important to keep all electronic devices used in the factory up to date.