Ransomware Protection for Small Businesses

Ransomware encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. For a small business, the cost is not just the ransom — it is the days or weeks of downtime while you recover.

Most ransomware infections start in one of three places:

1. A phishing email with a malicious link or attachment.

2. Remote desktop (RDP) exposed to the internet with a weak password.

3. Outdated software with a known vulnerability attackers can exploit.

Practical steps to reduce the risk:

- Enable MFA on every email and remote access account.

- Keep Windows, Office, and browsers updated automatically.

- Do not expose RDP directly to the internet; use a VPN or zero-trust access instead.

- Maintain backups with at least one offline or immutable copy that ransomware cannot reach.

- Test restoring from backup at least once a year. A backup you have not tested is not a backup.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools add another layer by spotting ransomware behavior and isolating affected machines before encryption spreads.