Blog courtesy of KnowBe4
Written by Stu Sjouwerman
No one has less cash on hand to spend on dealing with a cyberattack than the small business. New data shows ransomware is a challenge for SME's and they aren’t prepared for the costs.
No other malware type has evolved as much over the last 12 months as ransomware. The sheer number of attacks, the improvements in sophistication and efficacy are unmatched, and the ransoms are only getting larger.
But most still think this is an enterprise problem; nothing could be farther from the truth. In Datto’s Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report, we find that the SME is just as much a target of opportunity as the enterprise. And in many cases, despite it being impactful to the business, SME’s simply aren’t aware of the danger.
According to the report:
- 70% of MSPs report ransomware as the most common malware threat to SMBs
- Only 30% report that their clients feel ‘very concerned’ about ransomware
- 62% of MSPs said clients’ productivity was impacted due to attacks
- 39% said their clients experienced business-threatening downtime
What’s interesting is how the costs of ransomware has fluctuated over time. While the average reported ransom stayed largely flat – £4,500 in 2020 versus £4,200 in 2019 – the average ransom is 50 times higher - £205K!!!
According to Datto, the leading cause of ransomware attacks is successful phishing email attacks. This means that despite most SME's having security solutions in place (e.g., 59% have anti-malware filtering solutions implemented), it’s not enough. SME's need to add Security Awareness Training to their security to improve their security stance by incorporating the user as part of the security strategy.
Security Awareness Training is the answer to improve your security posture.
Free Ransomware Simulator Tool
Bad guys are constantly coming out with new strains to evade detection. Is your network effective in blocking all of them when employees fall for social engineering attacks?
KnowBe4’s "RanSim" gives you a quick look at the effectiveness of your existing network protection. RanSim will simulate 20 ransomware infection scenarios and 1 cryptomining infection scenario and show you if a workstation is vulnerable.
Here's how it works:
- 100% harmless simulation of real ransomware and cryptomining infections
- Does not use any of your own files
- Tests 21 types of infection scenarios
- Just download the install and run it
- Results in a few minutes!