The Viruses That Will Bring Down Your Business

The fact that there may be someone out there spying on everything you ever do is a seriously unsettling proposition.

 

Rifling through your personal data. Going through your ideas and plans. Looking at your photos. Without adequate security, this can be a reality for many.

 

What about your business? If someone is rifling through your private life then that is bad, but what if someone has access to your data and your financial info?

 

The internet offers so much to our businesses, and it can all be taken away in an instant if you don’t take the responsibility to protect your business.

 

In this article, we will look into the dark world of the computer virus and show you how you can protect your business today

 

Viruses infect our computers in many ways. Through websites, downloads and email attachments. Your computer will almost always be infected via the internet, so make sure you are educating your employees on the importance of internet safety and ensure you are scanning your systems regularly with anti-virus and anti-malware software. Viruses aren’t to be taken lightly.

Ransomware is an incredibly scary thing that can hold your computer hostage and keep it on lock down in return for a high price. Even if you submit and pay the steep price of the ransom, it’s more than likely that this won’t release the grasp of the virus and your computer will still be locked down. What’s more, you’ll be out of pocket, and a criminal will have your financial info. Ransomware is one of many viruses that will prey on those with an unsuspecting nature, and of course, those who are in the know on computer safety might not disclose information, but a threatened employee might. Education is key with ransomware, and any incident should be reported immediately. One ransomware incident even hid itself as a fake FBI threat, which of course is seriously bad news and quite scary and even an expert can be hoodwinked in that situation.

 

As for email attachments, one of the most destructive viruses in human history started out as a humble email attachment. The ILOVEYOU virus destroyed computer systems the world over and left damages that cost billions in its wake. Over ten percent of the world’s computers with internet connectivity were infected, and even the Government weren’t safe as the ILOVEYOU virus took its systems offline. The lesson here? Scan your email especially if it looks suspect.

 

Our internet browsers can also fall prey to viruses, and a wayward click can lead to a trojan virus leaping off of a webpage and into your computer. As with the Trojan horse of Troy, this virus will sneak in and figuratively open the floodgates of your computer to more malicious viruses or even a hacker looking to gain data from your computer systems. Data is invaluable to hackers and criminals as it can be sold on without a trace, unlike using your financial information. If something seems up with your computer, it is likely that something is going on so scan your systems regularly to ensure you and your customers don’t fall victim to a virus.