Did You Know: Most ransomware attacks begin with something as simple as a single email. One that looks completely legitimate. It could be a message from a supplier, a fake invoice, or even a disguised notification from your own cloud storage provider. All it takes is one click on a link or one download of an attachment—and suddenly, your entire network could be encrypted and held hostage.
Ransomware is no longer a fringe concern. It’s a mainstream threat that has impacted organizations of all sizes—from small local businesses to major healthcare systems and municipalities. At Axis Computer Networks, we’ve seen firsthand how these attacks unfold, and more importantly, how they can be stopped or recovered from with the right planning and support.
How Ransomware Slips In
Ransomware typically enters a system through phishing emails. These emails are expertly crafted to look authentic. They might come from an address that’s nearly identical to a trusted vendor (e.g., @yourvendor.co instead of @yourvendor.com) or include urgent language designed to lower your guard: “Past Due Invoice Attached” or “Your Account Will Be Locked.”
Once clicked, a malicious script or file downloads and begins encrypting your files, spreading quickly across networks and servers. Within minutes, you could be locked out of mission-critical systems with a ransom demand on your screen.
Why Prevention Isn’t Enough
Even with great firewalls and employee training, no business is immune. Cybercriminals adapt faster than most organizations can keep up. That’s why having a robust recovery plan is just as important as your security tools.
Imagine this: your primary file server is taken down, your backups are corrupted, and your team is locked out of every file and folder. What do you do next?
Building a Recovery-First Mindset
At Axis Computer Networks, we believe that disaster recovery is not a worst-case-scenario plan—it’s a realistic expectation. We work with our clients to:
- Create redundant, secure backup systems that are tested regularly
- Build incident response workflows so your team knows exactly what to do
- Deploy email filtering and link-scanning solutions to lower your exposure
- Monitor your network 24/7 for early warning signs and intrusion attempts
What Happens If You Get Hit?
If you’re attacked and encrypted, your response time matters. We help clients:
- Isolate infected machines immediately
- Launch restoration protocols from clean backups
- Communicate internally and externally with a clear plan
- Avoid paying ransom whenever possible by restoring clean data
We know that downtime costs money. In many cases, thousands of dollars per hour. A proper disaster recovery plan helps minimize that impact and ensures your business bounces back quickly.
Ransomware doesn’t care how big or small your company is. It only cares how unprepared you are. With the right partner, recovery doesn’t have to be a nightmare. At Axis Computer Networks, we’re here to make sure your systems, data, and people are protected before, during, and after an attack.
Need help evaluating your ransomware readiness? Let’s talk.