The Guardian have been hit with a major IT incident affecting many of their systems, suspected to be a ransomware attack.
Whilst this attack is not expected to affect the distribution of their news stories, this incident has hit parts of the media company’s technology infrastructure, forcing many employees to work out of office.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts the victim’s files, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. The attackers typically demand payment in cryptocurrency and threaten to permanently delete the victim’s files if the ransom is not paid within a certain timeframe.
Ransomware attacks can have a significant impact on organisations, as they can result in lost productivity and revenue. Additionally, if the victim pays the ransom, there is no guarantee that the attacker will provide the decryption key or that the files will not be permanently damaged.
Ransomware has risen 232% since 2019
Whilst the Guardian are one of the larger UK-based organisations to be hit by a suspected ransomware attack, often, the target of these attacks are small-medium sized organisations.
The average cost to regain data following a ransomware attack in 2022 was £469,000, a fee that unfortunately results in many businesses being unable to recover.
Ransomware attacks are also becoming more common, with Europe seeing a 63% rise in ransomware infections through 2022, proving that this threat is large and one that organisations need to have the correct technology implemented to avoid.
How can Nybble help?
As an IT company that understands it is imperative that your business is able to keep its data safe, we ensure that all appropriate measures are put in place to ensure you stay up to date with all the latest cyber security technology, best ensuring you are safe against the increasing threat of online attacks.
To further your trust that you are in capable hands with Nybble, we have achieved accreditation in Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Cyber Essentials is a government-backed and industry-supported scheme that helps businesses protect themselves against the growing threat of cyber attacks and provides a clear statement that we have the procedures in place to best ensure our clients do not become victims to these attacks.
Trust Nybble as your cyber security partner today – view our Cyber Security webpage here, call 0330 002 0886 or email enquiries@nybble.co.uk for more information on how we can help your business stay safe.
