Small businesses targeted by ransomware group for over a year. Dark Reading, a cybersecurity news website, recently authored an article alerting to this ransomware campaign. The ransomware group, 8base, has been targeting small businesses since April of 2022 according to Dark Reading. They have been targeting a wide array of small businesses, everything from cleaning and sanitation companies to retail, manufacturing, construction, and healthcare.
The change in ransomware
Like our Security Byte mentioned last week, this particular attack suggests not only do they encrypt your data, but they also steal your data. This is done to help ensure you will pay the ransom. As our post last week said, this is a newer method by ransomware attackers as many organizations adjusted by having better data backups.
What you can do
As always, keep accurate and up to date backups that you can easily restore from. It is also important to keep up to date anti-malware software on your devices at all times. These two things alone won’t protect you from ransomware, but they will go a long way in doing so. A lot of ransomware also makes its way to your device via phishing emails, so be diligent when receiving emails. Think before you click on links or attachments. If clicking on links, does the link take you to a legitimate website or is it suspicious? It is usually better to type in the website you need to visit manually in a web browser if you can. This way you can be assured you are going to the legitimate site. For more on what to do to prevent ransomware check out our fact sheet!
Be on alert
Unfortunately, ransomware and other cyberattacks aren’t going away anytime soon. They are just increasing over time as we all become more digitized. Becoming more digitized has its benefits, but it requires well thought out plans and policies on how to keep your small business safe. Cybersecurity should be part of most small businesses’ business plans. As it is a risk that every small business needs to consider and have steps in place they can take to quickly address any situation. Small businesses targeted by cyberattacks will only continue to increase as more connect to the internet.
So while ransomware is on the rise, don’t panic but plan. To learn more on ransomware and other cybersecurity threats, trends, and topics with a focus on small business, check out Small Business, Big Threat!