This blog isn’t about fish, fishers, or fishing of any kind. Nor is this about the jam band your brother Spencer followed around for a few years after college. This blog is about one of the most pervasive and surprisingly effective tools that nefarious types use to gain access to your information: Phishing.

Statista posits that 320 billion emails were sent in 2021 and 375 billion are estimated to be sent by 2025. That is 12,000 emails per second, meaning there are a whole bunch of opportunities for phishing to happen.

And it seems, no matter how robust your system and strategy, phishing attempts still find success. Those trying to access your information are getting better at slipping those phishing attacks through the weak spots in platform email defenses. Leaning on a variety of advanced techniques, they're also doing more targeting and research on victims than ever before.

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. In 2021 alone, businesses around the world were victims of a 105% increase in attacks. Sonicwall’s 2022 Cyber Threat Report also notes a 755% increase in the healthcare industry and a 1,885% increase in attacks on governments worldwide. 

One result of the COVID19 pandemic is that businesses around the world are utilizing remote workers, creating a bevy of new opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit digital information. Ransoms are high – JBS USA, the world’s largest meat supplier, paid an $11 million fee in Bitcoin to end their digital hijacking for instance – and even the average setback in 2021 was $1.85 million. 

Normally we like to start these blogs off with a fun little quip. Maybe a quote from a TV show or some kind of fun bit. You know, fun stuff.  

But let’s face it – if you’re here reading about what to do AFTER you’ve been hit with a ransomware attack, you’re probably not in the mood for the fun stuff. In fact, there’s not much you’ll be focusing on in the near future besides this topic. 

If you’re here by accident or you’re just really curious and want to be super prepared, that’s great, too! In fact, that’s a pretty awesome thing for you to do.

Businesses of all sizes, especially those 100+, are known to be targets of ransomware. The healthcare sector takes the brunt of the attempts, but everyone from restaurants to car dealerships is in danger – if you collect data, you’re at risk.  

As you’re taking the necessary steps to protect yourself from a broad range of cyberattacks, it’s critical you and your team be well aware of the threats, particularly when it comes to one of the digital criminal’s favorite tools.  

So let’s discuss what exactly ransomware is, how to detect it within your network, and, of course, what to do if you run into a problem.  

While many industries face new challenges, it was a very good year for the Ransomware business.