3 Ways To Prepare Your Clients For Ransomware

Your clients may understand the types of security risks that could impact their businesses, but are they truly prepared for them? For example, research from Cybersecurity Ventures found that ransomware is the fastest-growing type of cybercrime. The report also predicted that a business, consumer or device will fall victim to a ransomware attack every two seconds by 2031.¹

Even more concerning are findings from a global survey that Fortinet conducted with hundreds of cybersecurity professionals. The Fortinet 2023 Global Ransomware Report revealed that 80 percent of respondents said they are “very” or “extremely” concerned about the threat of ransomware.² However, the report also found that 50 percent of respondents fell victim to ransomware in the last year, and half of these organizations were targeted two or more times.³

Security Leaders Are Concerned About Employees’ Cybersecurity Knowledge

The Fortinet ransomware report found that security leaders' concerns were focused on processes and people, not implementing the right (or more) technologies. Leaders were concerned whether their employees had enough cybersecurity knowledge to make sound decisions when faced with a cyber threat. They also worry that a lack of knowledge and maturity across their security team will impede their ability to effectively protect against and respond to a ransomware attack.

3 Ways To Prepare Your Clients For Ransomware

Cybercriminals often operate like a traditional, well-organized enterprise. With funding from past attacks or nation-state support, they can craft and deploy complex attacks that can be hard to identify and address swiftly. However, you can help your clients prepare for and mitigate their risk of ransomware by taking the following actions:

Incorporate Ransomware Into Your Clients’ Incident Response Plans

Create and update an incident response (IR) plan specifically focused on countering a ransomware threat. Conduct regular tabletop exercises to keep your clients’ ransomware knowledge fresh.

With ransomware attacks becoming more frequent, it’s no surprise that your clients’ executive leadership has a renewed interest in cybersecurity. Establish and foster two-way communication with your clients’ C-suites and boards of directors about cybersecurity. Include them in your clients’ IR plans, assign specific point people and walk them through the critical escalation and decision-making phases.

Update Your Clients’ Security Stacks

As your clients’ networks expand, so do their attack surfaces. The tools they have today may not adequately safeguard their networks or IoT devices, especially if they are disparate point solutions. Evaluate your clients’ tech stacks and fill in any gaps with these technologies designed to prevent a ransomware incident: