Malware or malicious software, is a software that disrupts the normal operations of your system by attacking or damaging it. Malware (also known as badware) affects your computer by accessing your private files while prohibiting access to your computer. Rightfully named, what sets malware apart is it’s malicious intent. What started off as a prank has evolved due to the growth of internet crime groups and the money made from these heinous crimes.
Malware doesn’t come from unintentional software failure, but from hackers through downloadable sites, unsafe email links, and pop ups. Thankfully, your law firm doesn’t have to suffer through a malware attack. Here is how it affects your business and how to avoid malware:
Malware is an umbrella term and encompasses multiple threats. Some of these threats include:
- Viruses
- Worms
- Ransomware
- Adware
- Spyware
- Trojan Horses
Each is equally unpleasant to find on your computer, though they each attack differently. For instance, ransomware holds your computer and its files “hostage” and viruses attack and spread to other computers. As a business, not only does malware attack your devices, but it can also attack your website and compromise your integrity.
A common way internet criminals have hacked into websites is by rearranging or adding code to them. The malware then downloads itself onto the computers of users just visiting the site. This means innocent visitors are infected. As technology continues to advance, it becomes easier for hackers to add malware to your site or computer.
In a worst case, and all too common scenario: your website is compromised, you have no access to your computer, an intruder has access to confidential files, and on top of that you have to pay to get it removed. To prevent this from happening to your law firm you can do a couple of things:
Antivirus Software
Sometimes we may click on a link by accident or fall victim to an untrusting website. Antivirus is the most common way to prevent malware attacks. A necessity for anyone using a computer, antivirus software alerts you when a virus is attacking your system or even when a website seems suspicious, and then helps you remove it.
It runs searches on your files and computer to make sure no suspicious activity is detected and sends you updates with the results of these scans. This is a great way to stay ahead of the virus and eradicate it before it’s too late.
Adding anti-spyware and keeping your software up to date.
Keeping your firewall and virus safeguards updated is one of the most effective ways to secure your website from a malware attack. However, some dangerous files and software can slip through the antivirus or firewall. Because of this, it’s important to also have an anti spyware program installed to catch these intruders as well. An antispyware program will regularly comb through your website files and alert you to suspicious changes. These programs are frequently updated by developers as new threats emerge, so be sure to install security patches as they become available so nothing malicious can slip through the cracks.
Safe Web Browsing and Email Safety
Downloading content, clicking on unknown links, and allowing pop-ups can all pose threats for your computer. Most antivirus/antimalware programs have a web component already installed that will keep you protected from dangerous websites and pop-up blockers are integrated through your web browser or web toolbar. Always make sure that these programs are enabled on your computer to identify and clean any threats before they start infecting your files.
For emails, do not download attachments or click on any link from a suspicious email. For links, you can manually type the site link into a new window and navigate to the designated area of the site. It’s always better to do this than to click on the link in the email and be redirected to a malicious site. Also make sure your computer scans all downloaded files. That way, if you click a link without thinking, you’ll know whether or not any damage was done. If you’re using an email client, it will usually scan your emails to detect and alert you to potential threats, however keep in mind this does not apply to webmail.
Cloud-based Backup
Regularly backing up files is a good tip to practice even if your computer isn’t under attack. It cuts down the stress of worrying about regaining your files after a malware attack because they are all saved on the backup and are easy to restore. Cloud backup is especially helpful against ransomware attacks, which encrypt your data and don’t release it back until a ransom has been paid. This is because cloud backup allows you to retrieve the most recent version of your data, prior to when your computer came down with the virus.
Malware attacks are never a good thing, but they can be avoided. Having antivirus protection, practicing safe browsing and keeping a backup of your data in the cloud, are your best bets to defend your business against malware attacks.
Nordic Backup not only creates a complete backup of your entire system, it also sends you a backup report that detects which files have been recently changed. This backup report often reveals suspicious activity (ie: a suspicious number of files being updated in one day) and is one of the earliest ways to detect a malicious activity on your device.
Even if your law firm does fall victim to a virus, your data doesn’t have to be lost forever. Nordic Backup also provides unlimited version history, meaning that if a virus ever gets a hold of your data and encrypts it, you can recover it by reverting back to an uninfected previous file version. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to securing your company from a virus and safeguarding your data. Backup your files today with our 30 day FREE trial to insure your data against virus threats.
