Ransomware doesn’t always strike one place at a time. A recent ransomware attack shows it can strike multiple places simultaneously by targeting managed service providers (MSPs). These are organizations that small to medium businesses outsource IT needs to. This creates a situation in which a single organization is processing a great deal of information from a single location.
The Recent Ransomware Attack
According to ProPublica, on July 3 dozens of dental clinics in Oregon and Washington found themselves unable to view patients’ records due to a ransomware attack. But this attack didn’t affect these clinics directly. Instead, it infiltrated PM Consultants Inc., an MSP that handled dental software updates, backed up data, and firewalls. As of July 22, PM notified its customers that it was shutting down.
How to Secure Your Virtual Assets
The devastating impact of this attack on both the dental clinics and the MSP demonstrate the need for MSP providers in particular to secure their virtual resources. Beyond basic measures to secure your wireless network, great additional security options include Network Access Control (NAC) and Software Defined Perimeter (SDP).
NAC works to control who accesses your network so that you know who is on, where they’re accessing the network from, and what device they’re using. This enables you to enact security policies that people must follow to maintain access to your network.
SDP, on the other hand, protects resources beyond the network itself including cloud resources while allowing remote access to these resources. While NAC and SDP can do a lot to secure your resources on their own, they can do even more when implemented together.
Get SafeConnect NAC and SDP
Click here to learn more about SafeConnect NAC or here to learn more about SafeConnect SDP, including a chance for a 60-day trial.
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