15/04/2020
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Avoiding the Ultimate Disruption: Enhancing your encryption software
To what extent does your business rely on encryption software? As the digital world becomes more and more intertwined with our everyday lives, names such as WannaCry, Petya and NotPetya have become all too familiar, as those within the enterprise and public sector suffered business disruption at the hands of cybercriminals and ransomware. Utilising security solutions like encryption software can help ensure your business’s personal information is not only safe from prying eyes, but will make sure you avoid the devastating reputational damage of a GDPR fine too.
The WannaCry attack: Widespread public sector disruption
So how could encryption software actually stop your business from falling into the wrong hands in real world situations? When WannaCry, one of the most disastrous ransomware attacks in history struck, disruption was wide and swift. According to NHS England, more than 81 NHS trusts were affected, with some even turning off devices and shutting down computers as an extra precaution against the attack. With a further 603 primary care organisations also reporting disruption, there were said to have been nearly 20,000 cancelled appointments, with 600 GP surgeries returning to pen and paper and five hospitals simply diverting ambulances as they were unable to handle any more emergency cases.
Although that ransomware attack was stopped within a matter of days, reports suggested more than 300,000 computers across 150 countries had been affected – all which could have been avoided by implementing precautionary measures like encryption software. WannaCry was also significant in being the first ‘ransomworm’ the world had seen – a self-replicating piece of malware that bounces from computer to computer in much the same way that diseases in the real world do, feeding and growing off the best-connected computers.
Indeed, WannaCry was a necessary wake-up call in many respects, particularly when experts revealed the number of ‘unpatched’ IT systems, or those unequipped with encryption software stood somewhere in the region of 40m. The massive losses of this wide scale attack have brought to light the benefits of encryption software for every kind of organisation doing business in the digital age.
Interested in how encryption software has evolved into a key factor within a strong network security program? We’ve looked into the history of encryption in more detail here.
Powering your security: How encryption software can prevent ransomware threats
Although this represents just one aspect of policing the perimeter, it really does put into perspective just how much firms must think about when it comes to securing their businesses today – and that’s before considering how you manage and police mobile devices and IT assets. After all, it’s not just those on the outside you need to consider. This is where encryption software comes in. Working with algorithms, encryption software protects content from being viewed without a decryption key; rather than fighting the fire left by a wide scale data breach such as the WannaCry attack, encryption software instead helps prepare businesses for the possible data disasters heading their way.
So what can we take as a positive from this level of cyber security attack? This is forcing businesses to strategically look at and reconsider their approach to both encryption software and their wider IT security with a fresh pair of eyes. Factor in regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and it’s safe to say most businesses have their hands more than full,so implementing a full scale encryption software security plan is a great way to put your mind at rest when it comes to avoiding a serious data breach. It can all appear very daunting even to the most seasoned of professionals and is certainly one reason many firms are now looking to trusted partners for help, and in some cases secure outsourced solutions to implement their encryption software.
Imagine being able to forget about certain elements of this by using secure encryption software and modular services that protect your devices before they even boot up. What about using encryption software to encrypt these and hard disks right down to individual folders and segments of data? Wouldn’t it also be wonderful if you could do this via a centralised management system that ensures seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure and meets the FIPS 140-2 security standard for full disk encryption software; a certified mark of quality expected by security experts the world over? Imagine being able to produce a report at the click of a button, demonstrating your organisation’s compliance with the GDPR. It’s easier than you think, and with the correct encryption software solutions deployed across the business, you can deliver measurable improvements to your bottom line whilst at the same time being able to reassure customers that they are taking the correct precautions when it comes to customer data and compliance.
Thinking about employing your own encryption software solution? Keeping an eye on the shifting threat landscape as well as emerging tech trends, our experienced team can offer you the most streamlined security for your business’s needs. Take a look at our security solutions to make fending off the cyber attackers simple.
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