We have all seen the worsening headlines about ransomware attacks. Statistics include:

• Attacks occur every 9 seconds

• SMEs make up 43% of all ransomware attacks

• The cost of falling victim exceeds $230K 

• 51% of small business owners pay the money

• 2% got all the data back, 60% got some back

Ransomware has also become smarter, with new variants defeating endpoint security, exploiting VPNs, and compromising backup systems. The good news is that, as we learn more about ransomware attacks and how they work, we have learned that indicators of compromise (IOCs) related to attacks can be discovered well ahead of the encryption stage.

Even if you are a small team, taking the seven defensive actions described in this guide will significantly lower your risk of being attacked and reduce the cost of any potential losses if an attack does occur.