Ransomware: how it can destroy your business and 5 steps for immediate protection

Imagine arriving at the office on a Monday morning and discovering that all your company's files have been locked. The server doesn't respond, the management systems don't open and a message in red appears on the screen: "Your data has been encrypted. Pay the ransom to regain access."

This is the nightmare of ransomware, one of the most dangerous and rapidly growing cyber threats in the business world. Not only does it paralyze operations, it can cause devastating financial losses and irreversible damage to a company's reputation.

In this article, we're going to understand in detail how ransomware works, analyze real cases, assess its impacts and, above all, present 5 practical steps to protect your company immediately.

 

What is ransomware and how does it work?

Ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) that breaks into systems, encrypts data and demands payment of a ransom - usually in cryptocurrencies - to regain access.

The attack can begin in various ways:

• Phishing emails with infected links or attachments;
• Exploiting security flaws in outdated software;
• Remote access compromised by weak or stolen passwords;
• Social engineering, tricking collaborators into executing malicious files.

Once inside the network, ransomware spreads quickly, reaching servers, workstations, mobile devices and even connected backups.

 

Real cases of ransomware

Several episodes in recent years show how ransomware doesn't choose size or sector - any company can be targeted.

• Colonial Pipeline (USA, 2021): One of the largest American oil pipelines was paralyzed, causing fuel shortages in several states. The company paid a US$4.4 million bailout.
• JBS Foods (2021): The world's largest meat processor halted operations at plants in the US and Australia after an attack. The ransom was US$11 million.
• Atlanta City Hall (2018): Had essential digital services paralyzed, including issuing official documents. The estimated cost of the impact exceeded 17 million dollars.

These cases illustrate that the cost of ransomware goes far beyond paying the ransom - it involves operational downtime, loss of trust and regulatory fines.

 

Financial and operational impacts

The impact of a ransomware attack can be devastating, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, which don't always have robust cybersecurity resources. Among the main damages are:

1. Direct financial costs

• Ransom payments of up to millions of dollars;
• Emergency investments in IT and security consultancies;
• Fines for non-compliance with regulations such as the LGPD .

2. Interruption of operations

• Systems down for days or weeks;
• Unable to serve customers or process orders;
• Loss of productivity throughout the organization.

3. Damage to reputation

• Loss of trust from clients and partners;
• Impact on the brand's image in the market;
• Risk of losing important contracts.

4. Leakage of sensitive data

Many modern attacks not only encrypt data, but also steal it. This opens the door to double extortion: as well as demanding a ransom for its release, criminals threaten to divulge or sell sensitive information.

 

5 steps for immediate protection against Ransomware

If your company still doesn't have a clear defense strategy, it's time to act. Here are 5 key steps you can take right now:

1. Employee training and awareness

Most attacks start with a wrong click.

• Carry out frequent training campaigns;
• Teach them how to identify suspicious emails;
• Create a clear digital security policy.

2. Regular and immutable backups

• Keep automatic backups in separate environments from the main network;
• Use immutable backup solutions, which cannot be altered or encrypted even in the event of a break-in;
• Periodically test the restoration of backups.

3. Constant updates and patches

• Always keep operating systems, software and applications up to date;
• Apply security patches as soon as they are released by vendors;
• Use centralized management tools so as not to leave any gaps open.

4. Layers of cyber security

• Advanced firewall protection;
• Advanced antivirus and antimalware
• Continuous network monitoring;
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for critical access.

5. Incident response plan

• Structure a contingency plan with defined roles and responsibilities;
• Simulate attack scenarios to test the team's reaction;
• Have quick contacts with security providers and competent authorities.

Read also: how hackers invade companies and how to prevent it

The 3-2-1-0 policy in practice (and why it saves companies)

A 3-2-1-0 backup policy is simple to remember and extremely effective against ransomware:

• 3 copies of the data (production + 2 backups);
• 2 different media/locations (e.g. private cloud + local storage);
• 1 off-site copy (outside the main environment);
• 1 immutable/air-gapped copy (that cannot be altered, deleted or encrypted);
• 0 errors in the restoration tests (periodic validation).

The immutable "1" is the difference: if the attacker encrypts everything connected, your immutable copy remains intact and ready to restore. And the "0" forces the discipline of testing recovery regularly - many companies only discover that their backup is no good when it's too late.

 

KPIs that prove your resilience to ransomware

You can't improve what you don't measure. Include these indicators in your executive dashboard:

• RTO (Recovery Time Objective): maximum acceptable downtime;
• RPO (Recovery Point Objective): how much data you can afford to lose (in hours/minutes);
• Restoration MTTR: average time to return to operation after triggering the plan;
• MFA coverage: % of critical accounts with multi-factor authentication;
• Patching rate: % of endpoints/servers updated in the last 30 days;
• Verified backups: % of routines with restoration tested in the month;
• EDR/antimalware coverage: % of devices with active and up-to-date protection.

With these figures in hand, the conversation with management moves away from "guesswork" and becomes risk management with targets.

 

Common mistakes that open the door to ransomware

1. Thinking that "antivirus is enough": modern attacks use multiple steps (phishing + credential theft + lateral movement + exfiltration).
2. Permanently connected backups: the malware finds and encrypts them together.
3. RDP exposed to the Internet without MFA/IP control.
4. Delayed patches: known loopholes remain exploitable for months.
5. Excessive privileges: user accounts with unnecessary administrative access.
6. No simulations: no one knows who does what when the chaos starts.

 

Immediate checklist (action today)

• Enable MFA on email, VPN, RDP, cloud panels and critical systems;
• Review and deactivate accesses that are no longer necessary;
• Make a full backup now and ensure an immutable/off-site copy;
• Update systems with pending critical patches;
• Create a list of crisis contacts (IT, legal, communications, suppliers);
• Send a security alert to employees with examples of recent phishing;

15-30 minutes invested here already significantly reduces the risk.

 

Tactical plan 30-60-90 days

0-30 days (foundation):

• Asset inventory, data classification, policy 3-2-1-1-0 implemented;
• RDP/VPN hardening, minimum network segmentation, EDR on endpoints;
• Initial anti-phishing training + simulation;
• Incident response playbook drafted and tested on a tabletop.

31-60 days (scale):

• Vulnerability management with weekly scans and agile patching;
• Centralized log collection (SIEM or equivalent) and basic alerts;
• Review of privileges (principle of least privilege);
• Timed restoration test to validate RTO/RPO.

61-90 days (maturity):

• Technical attack simulation (red team/light pen test) to validate controls;
• Integration of security KPIs into the executive scorecard;
• Contracts and incident response SLAs with suppliers aligned;
• Crisis communication plan (clients, partners, regulators).

 

Mini-playbook on responding to ransomware

1. Detect and isolate: disconnect suspicious machines from the network immediately;
2. Activate the crisis team: IT, security, legal, communications and management;
3. Preserving evidence: logs, snapshots, attacker notes;
4. Eradicate: block compromised accounts, eliminate persistence and beacons;
5. Restore: prioritize critical systems from the verified immutable copy;
6. Communicate transparently: in accordance with the LGPD and contractual obligations;
7. Lessons learned: adjust controls, re-train, update KPIs.

Important: don't pay the ransom as your first option. As well as not guaranteeing the return of your data, you are funding crime and could encourage further attacks. Check with legal counsel and authorities.

 

Conclusion

Ransomware is not a distant threat, it is real, growing and can hit any business. As we've seen, the impacts go far beyond ransomware, including total paralysis of operations, loss of data and severe reputational damage.

The good news is that it is possible to drastically reduce the risk by following prevention practices such as awareness, immutable backups, continuous updates and well-structured response plans.

Protection against ransomware is not just an investment in technology, but in the continuity and survival of your business. Find out more!