Florida’s Learning Lesson

We all have the kind of fear that creeps in that back corner of our minds, that one day all the efforts that we’ve contributed to our businesses will vanish within seconds. All the days of frustration trying to figure out a solution to a problem or the days where we stayed overtime at work just to finish up a project– gone. As our businesses progressively expand and we build greater bridges with the world around us, we become more exposed to outsiders. Often times, we brush off our fears because we are “too busy to focus on the minor issues” in our lives. But when those “minor issues” escalate and become the only thing(s) that hinders us from our growth, we become stagnant and stuck. This exact scenario happened three weeks ago to the local government of Florida.

The incident happened when a hacker or a group of hackers gained entry to the government computer systems of Riviera Beach, Florida. The hackers stole classified information and are holding it hostage until the city council accepts this defeat and gives in to the huge amount of money being demanded. Stuck and irreversible without a solution, the city council surrendered and agreed to pay the hackers $600,000 to reclaim their encrypted files earlier this week.

This is a typical example of ransomware where a hacker obtains information by using methods we too often overlook, whether it is a suspicious email link or a false update installation and download, they gain the upper hand against owners. Nowadays, hackers are getting better and better at taking advantage of large companies and governments because they know that those targeted are willing to hand over loads and loads of money in return for their stolen data. And even then, it is not guaranteed that you will encounter a man of his words– even after you had paid your part, the hacker is not obligated to give you back the information you had lost.

What happened in Florida can happen anywhere, to anyone, including you. Now, this isn’t to scare you, but at times, we do in fact live in a scary world with people who have very malicious intentions. What do you do now? There are two options. You can either crawl away or hide into your shell or you can take someone else’s failure as a learning lesson. Both options can help you dodge a bullet, but we all know which choice is the one that comes with rewards in the long run.

Your choice can begin with DDKinfotech’s most advanced, developed, and trusted team. If there is anything that you should take away from Florida’s mishap, it’s to protect what’s yours before it’s too late. Why walk down a road that leads to a dead end when you can soar above with a bird’s eye view of all the roads, then take the one that leads to your destination in the fastest way possible.

If you have any questions regarding how you can prevent ransomware for your company or are ready to begin your information protection journey with us, give us a call at 212.997.0600 or drop us an email at hello @ddkinfotech.com .