- 112 Parker Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
- 978-463-2112
Axis Computer Networks provides comprehensive network security services, including anti-virus and anti-hacking measures to prevent breaches within your infrastructure. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees a network can be completely, 100-percent protected from a breach — hackers are working constantly to find their way through existing security systems and technology. The only way to really be sure you’re protecting your network, your data, and your business is to understand what you’re up against, even if that means planning for the worst.
Here’s a real-world example of how a network was compromised by hackers even with a full suite of security systems in place.
The client in question had a long relationship with Axis Computer Networks and was not considered a high-risk client that ignored security procedures.
The client was infected with ransomware — malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid — even though the company followed recommended security practices.
The infection occurred when a single user came across an email requesting a past-due invoice be reviewed. The email looked like a legitimate request from a current vendor. The sender’s address had been “spoofed” — a common trick where a letter or two is swapped in the domain, so a quick glance misses the change entirely.
Once opened, the user clicked an attachment that looked like an invoice document — but it wasn’t a document, it was a script. Scripts aren’t viruses, so they aren’t blocked by firewalls, spam filters, or anti-virus software. This one encrypted shared files, then spread across the network, infecting every user’s computer and locking down all files, workstations, and servers.
Any business that suffers a ransomware attack like this could be dead in the water, with no access to their computer files and data.
The only true way to guarantee recovery from an attack like this is having a disaster recovery plan in place that assumes the worst. Security measures are key to weeding out less sophisticated hackers — but prevention is only part of what a business needs. Any business serious about its security uses a disaster recovery strategy, including regular network backups, to ensure business continuity.
We’ve had companies call us after being hit with ransomware, particularly when their current IT provider had no idea how to proceed and abandoned them mid-attack. Without the right disaster recovery plan, those organizations had to pay the hackers to recover their files.
to get the server back up
all systems fully reconnected
backup interval, not nightly
For the client in this case, we were using our premier solution — 100-percent successful in recovering from ransomware attacks to date. We had the server back up and running within 30 minutes, and reconnected all systems that same day.
The alternative would have been paying the hackers, which isn’t even a guaranteed resolution — criminals can’t always be trusted to hold up their end of the bargain. Worse, when a target pays, hackers know they have a worthwhile mark and often turn the script back on to lock the files up again. The only way out at that point is to pay more.
The disaster recovery solution we set up for this client protects against ransomware, hacks, and pretty much any other disaster. It backs up on an hourly basis rather than nightly, minimizing data loss, and uses virtual server technology — so even if the physical server hardware is completely destroyed, the business can be back up and running within minutes. The system uses an on-site device, with backups replicated in the cloud, so both tools work in concert to ensure data and files can still be recovered.
Having the right security solution in place is the first step to protecting a company and preventing business interruption — but a disaster recovery strategy, including backups, is instrumental to protect that business fully from attack or catastrophe.
No obligation, no pressure — just a clear look at what recovery would actually look like for your business.
Let Axis Computer Networks provide a
solution tailored to your needs.
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