THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS

The 2019 official annual cybercrime report predicts a business will fall for ransomware every 14 seconds. Statistically speaking, seven businesses will become victims by the end of this article. This is a call to arms. This is happening to companies just like yours.

ONE: Your local School

We’re asking businesses everywhere to fight with us against this digital epidemic. This is us telling you it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” you’ll become the next target for cybercriminals around the world looking to steal sensitive data to:

TWO: Your local construction company

• Commit identity fraud
• Extort large amounts of money from you
• Commit credit card fraud
• Sell your information to competitors

What is ransomware? It’s a form of malicious software wherein the business is denied access to their systems and data

THREE: Your Accounting firm

until they pay a hefty ransom. Typically, ransomware is spread through phishing emails or some sort of infected website. Unfortunately, 71% of ransomware attacks target small businesses – those who would be the most devastated in the aftermath due to

FOUR: A large national corporation

• The high cost of paying the ransom OR lost productivity spent recovering data from backups if you have them
• The high cost of reputational damage in terms of lost customer trust and lost business opportunities

In Michigan, a medical practice was left with no choice

FIVE: The two-person medical practice

but to permanently shut down. The two-doctor practice lost access to patient medical records, billing, scheduling, and much more after their data was encrypted in the face of a ransomware attack. It made more sense for them to retire early rather than pay the ransom.

SIX: The law firm down the street

Ransomware is not always an attack on a large corporation you hear about on the news. It’s an attack on the small mom-and-pop shop down the road or the law firm with nothing more than a few attorneys in a tiny office.

SEVEN: Your own firm?

Statistically speaking, seven businesses were attacked in the time it took to read this article. This is a call to arms because those seven businesses may not ever open their doors again. 60% of small businesses close up within 6 months of an attack.

Let’s talk about protecting you against ransomware. As you can see, the threat is all too real. Call (416) 410-7268 or email us at info@sysoft.ca now.