On the Dock and on the Books – Paying Ransom to Law-Breaking Hackers

Featured article by Adam Citron, Sr. Cloud Computing Specialist at Nerdio

So-called “ransomware” has been making headlines again, most recently with the WannaCry malware. The computer code encrypts files on computers, making them inaccessible to the owners. A certain sum of money, usually in the form of Bitcoin, is demanded by the attacker in exchange for being sent the “key” needed to decrypt the files. The malware can infiltrate any type of device connected to the internet: servers, desktop computers and laptops, even smartphones. Most ransomware attacks go unreported because the victims don’t want the public, and especially their clients, to know they were vulnerable. Instead, they pay up, shut up, and hope it doesn’t happen again. And that sensitivity makes law firms, with their stores of confidential information, especially juicy targets.

Instead of paying out the ransom, the ideal solution is to prevent the attacks in the first place, and that requires a multi-pronged approach to security which deals with all of the various ways a hacker can gain access to systems. Big firms have the financial firepower, not to mention the staffing manpower, to create custom firewalls, virus detectors and other security tools. But, medium and small law firms simply don’t have the money or time to adequately protect themselves using traditional methods.

Fortunately, a cost-effective security solution does exist: IT-as-a-Service, or ITaaS.

ITaaS gives mid-sized and small law firms the same power and defenses as the big boys: prevention and updates, real-time monitoring, constant backups, and even disaster recovery solutions. But, because an ITaaS provider is servicing a large number of customers at the same time, law firms can take advantage of that economy of scale, getting top-end coverage at a reasonable rate.

Preventing spam and malware is one of the first steps, and that means effective protection that is continually updated as new threats emerge. ITaaS watches a firm’s emails, blocking dangerous messages before they arrive in a person’s inbox. From the client side, the updates are behind the scene and automatic, saving time and money, and allowing for desktop computers as well as servers to be scanned in real-time.

The updates are crucial because unmaintained software is a well-known and major vulnerability for any business. That includes everything from browsers and email applications to operating systems and software suites. Considering how much software is used, often in the background, on a daily basis, the task of keeping them all updated can be overwhelming. But, an ITaaS provider can automatically upgrade and update every application as soon as new patches or versions make themselves available.

Plus, ITaaS vastly improves firewalls with gateway anti-virus scanning that examines all incoming packets of data over the network, weeding out and quarantining anything suspicious.

Ransomware hackers often employ trick emails in a process called phishing. It involves targeting potential victims with emails that look like they come from legitimate sources but which actually contain links or attachments that provide entry points for malware and viruses. Even an innocent-looking Microsoft Word document attached to an email that appears to be from a trusted colleague or client can spell disaster.

ITaaS staff are highly trained on these phishing attacks and stay up to date on the latest developments. This allows them to keep their customers fully informed, as well, and some can even provide training and refresher courses — the kind of special education that would be cost-prohibitive on its own.

Finally, as every good lawyer knows, it pays to prepare for the worst. Anyone from the senior partner to a temp paralegal can slip up and let ransomware take hold of a system. That’s when regularly scheduled and automatic backups — another service provided by ITaaS — can be a life-saver. Professional backups can mean the difference between losing a day’s worth of work and losing an entire quarter. And, in the event a non-hacker disaster strikes, which can be anything from a blackout or fire to an earthquake or tornado, an offsite ITaaS provider will mean everybody’s data is safe and sound.

Legal and financial services firms know that the key to effective protection is in vigilance and the details. ITaaS providers offer a turnkey solution that lets legal eagles keep their eyes focused on what they do best, knowing that their business, and their clients’ information, is well guarded. #

Adam Citron, Sr. Cloud Computing Specialist at Nerdio

Adam Citron packs more than 16 years of experience in the IT industry in sales, marketing, and management. At Nerdio, Adam puts his technical expertise and driven personality to work through his daily interactions with clients, ranging from operational staff to C-level executives. Adam cuts through any IT complexities and intimidating acronyms and translates it all into a simple, easily digestible language – something we could all appreciate. Outside of Nerdio, Adam enjoys cheering on the Chicago Cubs and bonding with his cute-as-a-button daughter.