Here are two scenarios showing how easily your network can be compromised:
- A guest checks into your Vacation Rental and asks for the Wi-Fi password to your network. You happily provide it since you want your guest’s experience to be a great one. However, the guest’s 10-year-old son downloaded an illegal game containing malware. Everyone is unaware that his laptop is now carrying malware.
24 hours later, the virus emerges from its hiding place and hits your network. It’s infecting files and locking other guests and your staff from their computers. You and your network have just been hacked, and you’re about to be held to ransom. - A couple checks into your rental, excited to have some time away and enjoy your great city. They brought their laptop because Susan needs to check her work email while away. After a full day of sightseeing, she quickly logs into her email and notices a message from her boss that has an attachment. Because she’s tired and distracted from thinking of the day’s activities, she opens the zipped file. Nothing seems to happen.
She tries it again, thinking that maybe she didn’t double-click the attached file. Then she notices that while the email has her boss’s name, the address is not correct. She takes a panicked deep breath, closes her laptop, praying that her computer isn’t affected and decides to deal with it later.
Meanwhile, you have no idea your network has just been infected with the same result as in Scenario 1.
How likely do you think these scenarios are?
Ever since the pandemic hit, cyber crimes and malware development have skyrocketed. It seems that not everyone was focused on self-improvement during the global lockdown; many were looking for new ways to digitally wreak havoc.
Here are some scary cyber attack statistics:
- In 2020, ransomware cases grew by 150%.
- Email is responsible for around 94% of all malware.
- Every 39 seconds, there is a new attack somewhere on the web.
- 300,000 new pieces of malware are created daily.
- An average of around 24,000 malicious mobile apps are blocked daily on the internet.
The threat to your network is very real.
Protecting your network
Unfortunately, to be safe you need to assume that any external laptop or device connecting to your network could have a virus or ransomware on it.
You don’t know if your guests are as digitally diligent or safe as you are. You don’t know if they have the same browsing habits as you do. You don’t know if they monitor their children’s internet activity or how their kids use their laptops in the evening and at weekends.
You need to take the viewpoint that every external device has an infection. Although this might not be the case, if you take this approach, then you’ll start to think about the appropriate action you should take to routinely protect your network and your business.
Establish ongoing protection
As always, prevention is much better than cure regarding network protection. While establishing proper processes on a pre-emptive basis may require some upfront investment, it could also save your business time, money and frustrations in the longer term.
Contact the experts at SolutionInc and experience the piece of mind of knowing that someone is actively protecting your network.
We also offer 24/7/365 helpdesk technical support, where you will speak to an actual person to ensure everything is working as it should.