Ransomware is not new. It’s been around for a while, and clever hackers have found ways to extort just the right amount of money to make it worth your while to settle. The balance is somewhere between what the data is worth and what it would cost you to recover it through normal machinations. Traditionally they’ve kept the number low enough that is was cheaper to pay up and walk away. An easy decision, perhaps, when the data is just that. Data.

How does that dynamic change when the data is very personal, including images and videos that might compromise the emotional well-being of a member of your organization. A recent Brookings Institution report examines the new frontier of ransomware, and the implications reach into most organizational structures. Even if your staff is not victimized directly, statistics suggest that the growing threat combined with our expanding digital footprints and social networks are creating a perfect storm for this type of attack.

Our Own Worst Enemy

Many of the breaches that have lead to sextortion began with social media hacks or social engineering, and this exposes at least two problems. First, we still underestimate the reach and permanence of our individual digital footprints. While we spend a lot of time telling kids about the dangers, we sometimes fail to heed our own words. Second, social engineering remains a primary mode of entry into our digital spaces, and this human flaw is likely to persevere, making us our own worst enemies.

ICS can conduct an audit and assessment of your network to uncover any weaknesses or threats that might exist there. Beyond that, though, we can perform penetration tests using ethical hackers to examine your network infrastructure the same way the bad guys do.

Call ICS today and let’s picture a safer future for your network.