Ransomware Warning, is your data safe?

**Before we start, HIPAA "requires backups be made regularly, Including a backup copy kept offsite**

As a healthcare solutions provider you must take your data security risks very seriously. Ransomware is now the most prolific serious threat facing Internet users, and reports of ransomware infections are now more widespread than ever.

Providers have contacted us to remove ransomware from infected data files only to learn that a serious ransomware infection means you will probably lose everything on your computer. Period. Ransomware encrypts all your important files with a near-enough unbreakable encryption. The kind of encryption that the FBI and other authorities hate. No backdoors.

Most popularly, ransomware infects machines through malicious email attachments. This is when an email comes through to your inbox containing an attachment. The email will use any number of social engineering tricks to lure the recipient into opening the email attachment and in the process infecting their computer.

Taking the above into consideration, you avoid a ransomware infection very much like you would avoid any other malware infection. The only difference with ransomware is that if you fail to protect yourself, the stakes can be a lot higher. No one, after all, wants to lose all their data.

Here are the steps to protect you from data loss.

1. Most important: Have a disaster recovery plan, beginning with an off-site data back-up solution
2. Educate your staff to the dangers of clicking on suspicious email links. Remind staff in your weekly meetings, post notices in the break room and add this to your employee handbook.
3. Keep all Operating Systems and Anti-Virus Software up-to-date

Imagine losing your patient data, financial, clinical and appointment scheduling. We want to help protect you from such a horrible disaster. Make sure your workstations and server have the following; (Click Protection above)