Midmarket firms are getting hit hardest by ransomware. Data from 2017 shows that 29% of the companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees are getting struck by ransomware. If companies that size—who presumably have the resources to guard against this scourge—are getting hit, then avoidance does not bode well for smaller firms. Data also showed that those in manufacturing, technology, and consumer-focused industries experienced the most ransomware attacks.
Here are some other key data points:
- Average downtime is 14 hours
- Mid-size organizations suffered the most downtime
- The more critical the data held ransom, the more likely ransom is to be paid
- 97% report that ransomware encryption attacked MS Office files that are critical, sensitive, and proprietary
- Most organizations don’t pay the ransom
- Ransoms ranged from $500 to $1,000,000
- Bitcoin paid ransoms were typically $500 to $11,000
- 61% recovered servers from backups
- 35% recovered workstations from backups
- Adding awareness training decreases malware infections by 37%. Sending phishing tests via email provides you the ability to monitor your users, see what they click on, and provide additional training if required.
Here are some useful links for you and your end-user community:
- Be Ransomware Aware video – tips on how to educate and protect your employees from ransomware
- Should you buy cyber insurance?
- I Am a Non-Technical Executive… What Seven Things Should I Be Asking My IT Guys About IT Security?
- Ransomware Protection Manual
- Ransomware Prevention and Recovery Support
Contact Alvaka Networks at (949)428-5000 or info@alvaka.net for more info on ransomware and/or user security training.
*Statistical data shown above is from KnowBe4. You can download the full report here – The 2018 Threat Impact and Endpoint Protection Report



You want to enter in a fully burdened labor rate for this field. What that means is that you want to take the base hourly rate, plus 25-30% for employer payroll taxes, benefits, vacation/holiday time, etc.
Smoke testing is a type of software testing performed by Alvaka after a software patching sequence to ensure that the system is working correctly and to identify any misconfigurations or conflicts within the patched system.
This is a basic cost calculator for you to compute your typical monthly cost for patching your servers, PCs, laptops, tablets and associated application software. It also forms the basis for you to begin calculating your Return on Investment for software patching, or for comparison with alternatives to the manual process of patching operating systems and application software—such as Patch Management as a Service, also known as Vulnerability Management as a Service.
Smoke testing is a term used to describe the testing process for servers after patches are applied.