Lessons Learned from the Baltimore Ransomware Attack

Every month, we work with businesses of all sizes who are impacted by ransomware attacks. These scary and costly attacks can permanently steal your data and files if you don’t pay the sum requested by the hackers. Do you think that your business is too small to be impacted? Think again.

A Recent Case in Baltimore

 A recent ransomware attack in Baltimore City is shining light on the importance of ransomware protection to every business. An attack, called Robinhood, crippled the Baltimore City network. Employees throughout the administration were not able to complete their work using computers. As a result, virtually no administrative functions could be completed. Everything from title paperwork to water bills was impacted.

Unfortunately, this case provides many learning opportunities for companies trying to learn what not to do. During the attack, hackers took hold of the systems and demanded a ransom. Baltimore City immediately refused to pay it. The City also had no protection on their systems from this type of attack, leaving all of their information vulnerable to ransomware. By leaving the door open, they let the encryptors take over the entire network in a matter of hours. They had no notification of the attack while it was in progress due to the lack of protection.

Without disaster recovery solutions and proactive support in place, like those offered by Computer Services Unlimited Inc., Baltimore City put themselves in a catastrophic situation. To date, the estimated financial impact to the city is approximately $18 million and counting due to repairs and lost revenue.

What can your business learn from this situation?

  1. Partner with a professional IT firm like Computer Services Unlimited Inc. that understands what they are doing and how to best secure and protect your data.
  2. Make sure you have a Business Continuity Plan in place so that when a ransomware attack happens, you are already prepared for it. This will ensure your business recovers quickly and minimize downtime.

The investment you make in your security will be small when compared to the massive losses that can occur if you refuse to pay a ransom.

Computer Services Unlimited, Inc. President, Max Minkov, shares his thoughts on the Baltimore City ransomware attack:

Trust the Right Partner for Your IT Services

At Computer Services Unlimited, we work with hundreds of businesses to keep their systems in great condition and working properly. We know that you can’t afford to have downtime, so our managed IT services are designed to be comprehensive and preventative. You can trust that your computers, telecommunications systems and other mission-critical pieces of technology will always be in working order so that you can be as productive as possible. Don’t wait until there’s a problem to call us for your IT solution! Contact Computer Services Unlimited online or give us a call at (410) 484-7380.

To schedule a free, no obligation IT assessment, please contact Kevin Spargo at (410) 484-7380 ext. 108, or email him at [email protected].

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