Ian Lamont, columnist for the Orange County Register opinion section, wrote a column today on ransomware. We thought we should share it here not only because it is a valuable message on a very topical subject, but because it mentions Alvaka Networks, too.
Ian makes several very important points including, “Whether it is your home computer or a large organization’s network, ransomware does not care. It will block access to the computer, encrypt your data and if that computer has access rights to the network, then it will lock down the entire network and hold it all hostage.” Additional he says “The threat of ransomware will continue to grow because cybercriminals recognize it as a profitable business model and the online payment methods afford anonymity.”
Click here to read Ian’s full opinion column in the OC Register – Ransomware: Pay now or pay later
If you want to read more about ransomware and how to protect you and your company, check out these links:
1) Attend free our live lunch and learn on How to Protect You and Your Company from Ransomware. Whether you have already gotten ransomware or have yet to be infected, this is a must attend event. In 90 minutes you will come away with a rich set of action items to be better prepared. Ransomware Lunch & Learn
2) Here is the Ransomware defense framework for P-D-R, Protect, Detect and Recover.
This leans more toward the technical so you should share it with your technical team or call Alvaka and we can help you with it. Ransomware P-D-R is also the basis for performing a Ransomware Readiness Assessment if you would like Alvaka Networks to take a look at how well you are prepared to withstand an encounter with ransomware.
3) Here is our Ransomware Manual on-line. You are welcome to download it for free at the link provided in the top left corner of the screen. It explains quite a bit about ransomware, bit coins, how to protect yourself from ransomware and what to do if you get ransomware.
4) Be Ransomware Aware – What you users should know to not infect your systems
A printable version of the Be Ransomware tips – We recommend you cover this in a discussion at your staff meetings and distribute this document as a take-away.
5) For those who like their messaging via video, here are the 8 Be Ransomware Aware tips
If you are in dire need of help with a ransomware problem, please call or write to us at Alvaka Networks ASAP.
Smoke testing is a term used to describe the testing process for servers after patches are applied. 
Estimating an average time for patching servers and PCs can be a bit tricky. It can vary from one month to the next, depending upon the number and complexity of the patches released by your software vendors. You must consider all versions of operating systems and have a complete inventory of all your application software to do this job correctly. Our experience has shown that manual patching of systems takes on average of about 1.5 hours each.
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.