Ransomware Bluffs: How Do You Know?

Since it’s not a question of if but when an organization will receive a ransomware notice, smart organizations protect themselves by putting in place systems that record user and file movement within an organization. This means –  a document management system. With a well-run and well implemented document management system, you can validate a hacker’s claims that they’ve infiltrated your system, or if they are bluffing, before deciding on the best course of action. Knowledge is power.

A key point to remember is that the activity tracking function must be turned on…. it’s amazing how often companies don’t bother to turn the tracking function on! The old excuse of storage expense is not really a consideration anymore but still – most companies haven’t revisited existing functionality to turn on tracking.

Another key is to have a disaster recovery back up in place that is preserving vital records, proactively, in real time, as a daily standard business practice. This means that ROI is paid back after the first ransomware notice that turns out to be a bluff! Once again, knowledge is power.

Foundational to business continuity in the case of a legitimate ransomware attack is a Records Management or Information Governance Program with a records retention schedule. The RRS identifies vital and historic records that are needed by the business and the real-time DR system will update those documents as they’re created or updated. A good Document Management System will allow you to incorporate the status of those records, so it’s also a daily business practice not requiring user intervention.

Ransomware Notices: How can Western Help you?

The Western Integrated Systems team can assist your organization in assessing your readiness to determine if a ransomware notice is a bluff or legitimate. We’ll look at existing applications to see if they have file tracking activity functions and if DR backups can be real-time. Of course, if you don’t have those systems in place – we have the solution for you! Let’s connect today to find the right solution for your organization.