Coffee with Kampas | June 1, 2020

Coffee with Kampas – Episode 23: A New Form of Ransomware

 

Chances are you’ve either heard of or even been a victim of a ransomware attack. On today’s episode of #CoffeeWithKampas, EMPIST’s Founder & CEO, John Kampas, is discussing a new form of ransomware and how to protect your business against it.


 

Hi, this is John Kampas, Founder and CEO of EMPIST. First and foremost, I hope you’re doing well during these difficult times.  I’m sure by now you have heard of or even been a victim of a ransomware attack.   That’s why on today’s Coffee with Kampas, I want to talk to you about a new strain of ransomware and how to protect your business against it.

We’re starting to see a new strain of ransomware that requires one payment to decrypt your files and a second payment to prevent the files from being publicly published.  It’s scary to think that someone would not just not encrypt the files on your systems, but also copy the files to another remote location and hold them ransom for financial gain.  If this 2nd form of payment catches traction, proper backups will not be enough to solve your problems should you become a victim of this type of attack.

Now, more than ever, you need to be vigilant and be aware of things you are doing online and while opening emails.  There’s been a significant increase in Cyber-attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.  You need to protect your business and your personal security.

During pandemics or disasters bad actors thrive on historical moments like this because they attack the vulnerable and naive.  The people with their guards down.  So, it’s up to you to help safeguard the security of your business.  You need to protect your people, your customers and your investments.

With all of these attacks through email, the risk of using email continues to increase.  People have become scared of using email.  Companies are embracing other channels of communication such Microsoft Teams, Slack and Video.  These platforms are growing in popularity and although they are not 100% secure, additional security features can be configured to protect your communication and ensure authenticity.   If you are already on Office 365, I recommend checking out Microsoft Teams.

The bottom line is that there is no fail-safe way to protect your organization’s security.  Every weak point needs to be strengthened, and users need to be responsible, security minded, educated and tested.  Email is not the only threat vector; however, it is one of the most popular mediums for cyber criminals to target your company.  You need to do something now before you or your company to become the next victim of a cyber-attack.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Thank you.

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