Ransomware is pretty scary stuff. It sneaks into your system just from you or an employee clicking a seemingly innocent link or downloading a perfectly reasonable-looking file, and then it attacks – encrypting all your business data and holding it ransom. Even if you pay the ransom, you sometimes don’t get your data back.
We’ve all heard a lot of horror stories about ransomware and other malware, but these cyberattacks don’t have to be scary at all. When you plan to do some simple, proactive, preventative work with one of Seattle’s top IT managed services providers, your business can transform a potentially disastrous ransomware attack into a mere IT irritation.
Here’s an example of a ransomware attack that could have destroyed the nonprofit it targeted, but because they worked with one of Seattle’s top IT managed services providers, the attack ended up being a non-issue.
IslandWood is an environmental learning center founded in 1999 on Bainbridge Island, that focuses on improving access to meaningful, nature-based learning experiences for children. They manage a 250-acre campus along with other facilities, and they work with 12,000 students a year. (If you haven’t heard about the great work IslandWood is doing, you should really check them out.)
Eight years ago when IslandWood began rapidly growing, they knew they’d need a better IT setup to handle their expansion. They contacted Interplay, one of Seattle’s top IT managed services providers (MSPs), to help them update and maintain their systems.
One of the early questions Interplay asked turned out to be immeasurably important for IslandWood’s future. Interplay asked about IslandWood’s cybersecurity plans.
When it became clear that IslandWood didn’t have a fast and easy way to recover in the event of a cyberattack, Interplay gave some critical advice. Brian Place, Principal and Founder at Interplay said, “Don’t wait to put a Datto in.”
A “Datto,” or business continuity backup appliance, is a state-of-the-art, surprisingly affordable backup method that takes “snapshots” of your entire network as often as every 5 minutes (setup, files, user preferences, security settings, administrative settings, etc.). The Datto then stores these snapshots both in a local backup device and on the cloud.
Though they were originally developed to help companies get back to work quickly after a natural disaster that destroys in-office equipment, Datto appliances have become extremely popular these days. Why? Because in our modern age of constant, devastating ransomware attacks, they make it possible to rewind the clock and erase ransomware.
Since Datto solutions are now classified as cybersecurity must-haves, you’ll know you’re working with one of Seattle’s top IT managed services providers when you’re working with an award-winning Datto partner.
Because of the advance planning IslandWood had completed with Interplay, the nonprofit was prepared a few years later when disaster struck. One of IslandWood’s employees clicked on a phishing email and hundreds of thousands of files in the nonprofit’s system were encrypted, effectively hijacking data that stretched back decades.
Sounds terrifying, but here’s why this isn’t another one of those ransomware horror stories that end up in the news: all IslandWood had to do was call up Interplay, and the IT experts deleted the effects of the attack.
Well, it wasn’t quite that simple. Interplay had to quarantine the ransomware virus, scrub the systems, rewind the systems back to before the attack, and restore any additional data – but they worked fast and IslandWood was able to get back to business, as if nothing had happened, within just a few short hours.
Not only did IslandWood save the cost of paying the ransom (which isn’t a guaranteed data recovery method anyway), they also saved untold hours of business-interrupting downtime that could have depleted their resources and left them scrambling.
“If it hadn’t been for Brian and his team, we would have had extensive data loss. Prior to Interplay, this would have been a major disaster. Interplay had the forward-thinking mindset to protect our data, and had someone on site the entire time we were dealing with the crisis,” said Julie Yunt, IslandWood’s IT Manager.
Of course, the first step to recovering from ransomware is to avoid it in the first place. Seattle’s top IT managed services providers, such as Interplay, help you and your entire staff avoid ransomware by:
They also help because, as MSPs, they proactively update and patch your systems to keep you safe, and they monitor your technology around the clock– stopping ransomware and other cyberattacks in their tracks.
And, of course, they’ll set up and manage your Datto for you. That way, even if the worst happens and you get attacked with ransomware, your business can recover safely and soundly.
Since 2001, Interplay has been helping Seattle businesses across a wide range of industries overcome IT challenges. Interplay provides friendly, on-demand support services 24/7, leading IT security tools and techniques that keep your systems secured, and tailored tech advice that helps your company strategize at every stage of your growth.
It makes a difference when you work with one of Seattle’s top IT managed services providers– and by choosing Interplay, your company, like IslandWood, can end up with the IT solution that makes it possible for your organization to recover from ransomware or other future cyberattacks.
Learn more about ransomware in this eBook so you can start creating your IT protection plan today.
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