The Dangers of Double and Triple Extortion

Ransomware has emerged as one of the most dangerous modern threats to businesses, and when you consider just what’s at stake with a ransomware infection, you’ll realize we’re not exaggerating. The worst variants of ransomware will attempt to extort you through any means necessary, and when you don’t give in so easily, they’ll pull out the big guns: double and triple extortion.

Double-Extortion

Double-extortion is the tactic criminals might go for if you refuse to pay the ransom, and it’s devilish in design.

Sometimes when a ransomware attack occurs, the criminal in question might also exfiltrate your data. They’ll make a copy of the data before encrypting it, then use that data to effectively hold your business hostage twice-over. They can leak that data online or sell it on the black market if you fail to pay up, effectively forcing your hand if you’re desperate enough.

If you think that’s the worst of it, though, you’re sorely mistaken.

Triple-Extortion

If you thought data theft was the worst of it, well… you better buckle up.

Let’s say you’re feeling adamant about not paying the ransom and you don’t give a hoot about data theft (a tall order to be sure). A hacker might up the ante on you and put more pressure on you to take action. They might launch DDoS attacks to pin your business to the ground, or they might contact third parties to make matters significantly worse—third parties like news organizations, law enforcement agencies, or even your customers.

The loss of reputation that comes from such an act is enough to sink even the most well-meaning business.

What Can Be Done?

At this point, you’re probably wondering, “Well, if I can’t pay the ransom, and I can’t recover my data, what can I do?”

The answer is simple: trust in professional IT technicians like the folks at White Mountain IT Services to help you get through this mess. Ideally, you don’t have to face ransomware at all, and your systems are adequately protected enough. In any case, you should be prepared with a backup of your company’s data, just in case something were to happen.

But even that might not be enough to stop ransomware—so that’s why you break out the big guns of your own: White Mountain IT Services.

If you’re nervous about ransomware (and you should be), contact White Mountain IT Services. Our trusted technicians will ensure you’re as protected from cyberattacks as possible. Learn more by calling us at (603) 889-0800 today.

White Mountain IT

Related Posts

The Four Components to Zero Trust (And What Each Involves)

We will be the first to admit it: we are obsessed with security. In an era where cybercriminals are more sophisticated and persistent than ever, that obsession is a necessity. Modern security requires a fundamental shift in mindset: you cannot implicitly trust anyone. Not outside hackers, and—uncomfortable as it may be—not even the people inside your organization. This trust-no-one approach is t...

How an IT Roadmap Keeps Your Business’ Tech in Check

Does your business operate in the moment, or does it prioritize what’s just around the corner? As a business owner, you have a tricky balance to strike between the two, and where technology is concerned, the answer is not always so clear-cut. But it’s generally better for your business to look at technology management with the perspective offered by an IT roadmap to inform your decision-making, fr...

Why MFA is the Most Important Security Step You'll Take This Year

While still critical to get right, passwords aren’t nearly as secure as you would expect them to be. They can be guessed (especially if proper password practices haven’t been followed), stolen in data breaches, or phished from a well-meaning—albeit shortsighted—employee. Passwords are basically the lock built into the front door of a building. They’re enough to keep out honest people, but what ab...

3 Ways to Turn Your Tech Stack Into a Growth Engine

For years, the firewall was seen purely as a defensive tool—an all-in-one solution with antivirus, web filtering, and intrusion protection. Nowadays, they can potentially serve a much greater purpose beyond simple network security. When leveraged right, you can use the immense amount of data firewalls track to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and make smarter infrastructure investments. ...