IT tools are very powerful and can do a great job of protecting data from cybercriminals, but as those technologies advance, so do the skills and strategies of hackers. One type of attack that has become increasingly common in recent years is ransomware.
How Damaging Is Ransomware?
A ransomware attack can have a significant impact on a business, both in terms of the financial cost of the ransom and the disruption to operations. In about 31% of cases, businesses have been forced to shut down completely as a result of a ransomware attack. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack of 2021 was one of the most damaging ransomware attacks in recent history, with a ransom of 4.4 million dollars. The attack caused millions of dollars in damage and disrupted the operations of many businesses, including hospitals, banks, and government agencies.How Can a Disaster Recovery Plan Prevent Ransomware?
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent a ransomware attack, having a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place can help reduce the impact of an attack and make it easier to recover from, saving you money and protecting your business’s reputation. Disaster recovery plans used to just be for events such as natural disasters or power outages, but as the risk of cybercrime steadily climbs upward, this type of plan has become much more comprehensive. Nowadays, protecting against ransomware is one of the main focuses of disaster recovery plans.What Should Be Included in Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
Your disaster recovery plan should include procedures for backing up data, restoring systems, and communicating with employees and customers so that you can get your business up and running as soon as possible.Key Components of a Disaster Recovery Plan
When creating your DR plan, make sure to include the following:- Clear objectives for recovery; make sure they are specific and measurable for each level of the company
- A plan for testing those goals and modifying them based on the findings
- Realistic RPOs (recovery point objective) and RTOs (recovery time objective)
- Clear markers for every executive on when it will be necessary to pay the ransom
Communication
When creating your plan, walk yourself through these questions and make sure that clear answers for each of them are included in your plan.- Who will be responsible for communicating with employees and customers?
- What channels will be used to communicate (email, text, phone, social media)?
- What information will be communicated (status of systems, expected downtime, etc.)?
- How often will communication take place?
