Question?: I heard about a virus going around wiping out computers-is this anything I need to worry about?
Answer: YES!!
This question, or some version of it, lands in my in box every week. This past month, the WannaCry Ransomware, made lots of companies cry. And just a few days ago, a variant, Petya, joined the barrage. It was just a matter of hours before NotPetya emerged. The really bad news: NotPetya is consider cyber war. Even the author of Petya doesn’t want to take credit for this attack. This attack doesn’t seem to care about money. It just encrypts your data and throws away the key. It’s sole intent is to cripple.
So how do you protect yourself?
Keeping your system updated is critical. Besides updating Windows, you also need to keep current with your anti-virus software, malware detection software and all utility software.
Making regular backups is a must.
I like to have backups on-site and off-site. When bad things happen, it’s nice to have the speed and ease of an on-site backup. But there are no guarantees the next version of Malware won’t wipe out your local backup. After all, if it is attached to the infected computer then it can become compromised just as easily as the system itself. To protect against that, I also send backups offsite. People will fuss about the added expense saying, “It just doesn’t seem necessary”, or “I can’t afford it”. But you need to change your thinking: Off-site backups are like fire insurance or car insurance. You buy it. You never intend to use it. But if you have ever experienced a house fire or a car collision, you know how thankful you were to have it. Even with a large deductible, it was still a blessing.
So what makes offsite backups different? A quality backup, will include versioning, keeping two or more copies of the same file. This is critical. No one wants the heart ache of discovering their system is encrypted and the backup software replaced good files with encrypted files. That would make you WannaCry!
Cost of infection is always more than just the ransom you pay. There is also the cost of lost production. PLUS the added expense of Anti-Anxiety Meds!
Worried about your antivirus? We recommend Avira. You can purchase on line for $45, or take advantage of our dealer special for $35/each.
Need a quality backup plan with versioning? We can get you started for as little as $20/month.
Want someone to keep tabs on your software patches? Whether you want it done annually, quarterly or monthly, we’ve got you covered. We also offer an affordable monitoring service that will report back anytime something looks suspicious.
If any of these ideas make you tingle, give us a call. It is much more pleasant to prevent chaos than to reverse chaos. And as the above quote says: Survival is not mandatory!!
~Janet
On a more pleasant note and because I eat kale and coconut oil and this made me laugh!
