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Data backup to avoid paying ransom money

Posted at 6:42 PM, Jan 17, 2017
and last updated 2018-11-03 15:19:45-04

The Ransomware virus was developed by hackers and is evolving everyday to look more and more authentic. 

Data Systems Technology Solutions and their partner, Datto, shared the latest findings regarding Ransomware with numerous Central Texas companies Tuesday.

"A virus that is hitting a lot of local businesses as well as business across the country, both small and medium, that encrypts all the company's data and it demands ransom," President of Data Systems Technology Solutions Gus Welter said.

Hackers send emails that look normal, but with just one click a whole company's system can lock down and all of its data be gone. The only way to get that data back is to pay a ransom, and even then the hackers may not give back access.

"It's a very costly virus both to the businesses as well as to their customers because not only can it lead to money that people have to outlay to get their data back, but it also leads to a lot of downtime which impacts companies locally," Welter added. 

Downtime is the period of time from the moment the data is encrypted to when a company is able to secure a backup which could be anywhere from hours to days or even weeks. 

Datto and Data Systems Technology Solutions urge Central Texans to incorporate their backup to and secure data within 15 minutes to save valuable time and money.

One business owner who attended today's event said he learned quite a bit and now wants to change to Datto's backup system so he can...
Donny Hunter/Certified Identity Protection Adviser

"Always go back Pre-Ransomware time because most of them, I have been using a file based, and what I learned was that, that doesn't help you in the area of Ransomware. You need an image based backup system," Certified Identity Protection Adviser Donny Hunter said. 

Welter later added while a backup may seem costly at first to business owners like Hunter, it is nothing in comparison to what the virus can do... shut down a business, demand thousands of dollars in ransom for data you may or may not get back. 

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