Ransomware: “It won’t happen to me…” until it does

With ransomware, it is easy to assume, “it won’t happen to me” until it does. Dr. William Scalf and Dr. John Bizon became victims of this horrific cybercrime in March of this year. The two doctors own a small medical office in Battle Creek Michigan that has been operating for many years. Upon return from a vacation, Dr. Scalf found all computers shut down with patient information, schedules, and records seized. There was a single email requesting a sum of money in exchange for the stolen information.

The ENT and Hearing Specialist informed the FBI as soon as they could, where they were encouraged to do everything they could to not pay the ransom, as this only encourages criminal behavior. There is also a risk in paying the ransom because there is no guarantee that their data would be completely recovered. Rather than paying the ransom, the two doctors decided after a long career, the only option was to shut down the practice completely. Dr. Scalf describes the situation as a nightmare. Brookside ENT could not even inform the patients of the event that occurred because all contact information was lost. Patients were frustrated as they tried to schedule appointments only to find out that the practice had shut down.

Unfortunately, this small practice in Battle Creek Michigan is not and will not be the only small business to be affected by ransomware. In a report by Beazley Breach Briefing, a software insurance agency, 3,300 ransomware attacks were reported against U.S. businesses in 2018 and 71% of these attacks were against small businesses or organizations. 

Healthcare Industry at High-Risk for Ransomware Attacks

The healthcare industry is definitely an industry that cybercriminals are taking advantage of. Healthcare providers are oftentimes more likely to pay the ransom because people’s lives could be in jeopardy if the information is lost. According to HealthITSecurity, small healthcare facilities are also targeted because of their “lean security support.” Data shows 3 out of 4 small to mid-sized healthcare centers lack an on-staff IT security leader leaving cybercriminals a greater opportunity to successfully complete an attack.

Although oftentimes we hear about large enterprises falling victim to devastating ransomware attacks, it is important to consider the opportunity cybercriminals see within small businesses and organizations. Because small businesses are not typically equipped with the resources to withstand an attack, they can be the prime target for an attacker. Without a data recovery plan in place, many small businesses end up paying the ransom out of sheer desperation in hopes of getting their data back. The effects of these attacks are devastating and can lead to the complete shutdown of an organization, just as it did with Brookside ENT.

Trinsio Can Help Protect Your Business Against Ransomware

As small businesses and organizations develop a data backup and management plan, they may struggle to find a good solution because they do not have the budget or may be overwhelmed by their data and have no idea where to begin. Trinsio understands this concern and has developed a way to solve this problem. With immutability to fight ransomware, you can be confident that your data will be protected in the event of an attack, we will also walk with you step by step to understand your data and present the best strategy to manage it. As a Rubrik Strategic Partner, we offer the best data backup and recovery technology that is available. And with a monthly ‘pay as you go’ model, our technology is affordable and available to protect your organization.