By Hemant Harie, Managing Director of Gabsten Technologies

The rate at which ransomware attacks are increasing means that it is only a matter of time before any business will experience an attack at some point. It has become imperative to not only have all the tools in place to prevent an attack as far as possible, but to have a response plan in place for when you are hit. This can be a daunting task, as there are so many different solutions, scenarios and frameworks out there, and it can be difficult to know what would be best suited for any given organisation. However, struggling through this situation alone is both inefficient and unnecessary. A skilled data management partner that offers managed services, has the resources and experience to help you plan for prevention as well as response, with all the backups and alerting systems in place, continuously monitored and kept up to date, to mitigate both the risk and the damage. 

Be prepared for the worst

You do not have to look far for statistics on the increased incidents of cyberattacks and ransomware, in particular – attacks are rampant and widespread and can have devastating impacts. This is not a situation that is unique to South Africa, although as the country’s economy starts maturing , local entities may be more vulnerable as they are deemed to be viable targets. Ransomware is a global phenomenon that has been increasing for years and continues to accelerate. 

The reality is that a ransomware attack will be successful at some point, no matter how well prepared a business is. So, while it remains essential to have the necessary tools, security layers and frameworks in place to prevent as many attacks as possible, it is also essential to have an effective strategy in place for what happens after an attack. This includes how to respond to the incident and how to recover. Having a local managed services partner with international experience to assist can be invaluable on all fronts. 

Skilled, focused data management

When it comes to ransomware prevention and mitigation, consistency is key. It is essential not only to have a plan in place but to continuously test and enhance this plan to ensure its effectiveness. It also remains critical to have up to date cybersecurity protection in place to guard against as many threats as possible. This is a specialist field that most enterprises simply are not experts in, yet it is one of the most important elements of Information Technology (IT) today because data touches every aspect of the business. This makes it more important than ever to engage with the right partner to assist. 

Managed services partners will have a pool of resources to draw on, rather than relying on a single person or a small team to fulfil the role. It is also a more effective strategy for ensuring consistency and business continuity. They will ensure that data management solutions and frameworks are continuously managed and monitored, updated and enhanced where required, and will keep their finger on the pulse of the latest ransomware trends. An expert and experienced partner will have numerous viewpoints from different team members, businesses and industries, resulting in a more diverse and rounded offering. They can also offer 24/7 services to monitor for alerts and indicators pointing to a possible  cyberattacks thus narrowing down the time it takes to implement a response plan. 

Taking a proactive stance

Engaging with a managed services partner ensures a more proactive approach when it comes to understanding and tackling the threat of ransomware. With dedicated resources, appropriate skill sets and varied exposure and experience, the right partner can help businesses be aware of and respond to security challenges effectively and consistently.

While ransomware seems daunting and understanding how to mitigate the risk can be a challenge, there is help available. Gabsten Technologies has the highest number of Master-certified Commvault resources in Africa, and among the highest in EMEA, ensuring that customers get consistent and quality service across the board. This is critical to increasing security posture and managing the growing ransomware threat.