Ransomware risk is rising for organizations in every sector, especially companies that provide important services for other businesses as well as retail users.

State agencies have been high on cybercriminals’ target lists throughout 2021 because they’re likely to pay the ransom and that trend is expected to continue in 2022.

Payment card skimmers and other similar malware are an occupational hazard for any company that processes online payments.

As we’ve reported on our blog, the latest phishing attack trends have adopted many of the hallmarks of internet security, including HTTPs encryption, to dupe unsuspecting recipients into compromising critical data. Although such attacks are difficult to spot, SMBs can ensure that their employees serve as the first-line of defense by implementing consistent awareness training that keeps employees abreast of the latest trends.

Unfortunately, once ransomware takes root, companies are guaranteed to pay a hefty sum to restore their services and operations. Whether paying hackers to decrypt information or hiring cybersecurity specialists to restore from backups, the price tag can be enormous. When coupled with the opportunity costs that accompany system outages, the ROI on preventative measures becomes obvious in the face of ransomware and other attack vectors.

Companies managing sensitive healthcare information are expected to have mechanisms in place to protect their patients, so a preventable data breach is particularly egregious. While phishing scams are used to gain access to a company’s IT infrastructure, they can be prevented through training and monitoring tools.