Making the case

The pros behind Carbonite + Webroot joined forces with industry leading researchers at IDC to develop an easy-to-understand framework for fighting back against cybercrime. The results? A 6-step plan for adopting a cyber resilience strategy meant to keep businesses safe.

IDC looked into the data and past the alarming headlines with million-dollar ransom payments and crippling supply chain attacks.

The facts they found are eye-opening and underline why cyber resilience is the best strategy:

• less than 2% of full-time staff at SMBs are dedicated to tech
• 30% of companies that paid a ransom forked over between $100,000 and $1 million
• 56% of ransomware victims suffered at least a few days or a week of downtime

Of course, the best strategies can’t help anyone who doesn’t adopt them. So IDC also compiled tips for communicating with businesses. Whether you’re an MSP, an IT pro or just a friend, you can use these tips to help convince the underprepared that they need a cyber resilience strategy.

The 4 reasons why cyber resilience makes sense

IDC researchers make an iron-clad case for cyber resilience by looking at the current state of cybercrime. The found 4 main reasons why businesses need a cyber resilience framework:

1. Crippling cyberattacks are on the rise. Evolving methods and sophisticated tactics make cybercrime a booming business for criminals.
2. A distributed IT footprint brings greater risk. The onset of hybrid work opens new pathways ready to be exploited. And let’s face it, the average home WiFi doesn’t have the right kind of security.
3. IT departments are stretched thin. Less than 2% of SMBs’ total employee base is dedicated to full-time IT staff.*
4. Consequences of an attack remain dire. Attacks continue to reverberate past the day of a breach, with 55% of ransomware victims suffering a few days to a week of costly downtime.**

The right tools can fight back

But it’s not all bad news. Adopting the right strategy and the right tools sets you on the road to protecting your business. The headlines are scary and the stats are alarming, but they’re not prophecy. Businesses don’t have to live in fear of falling victim to cyberattacks.

From framework to action

IDC goes in depth for the steps businesses can take to adopt cyber resilience. Here’s a quick preview of the framework:

1. Identify. You can’t protect what you haven’t first identified.
2. Protect. Employees and their devices are cybercriminals’ first targets. Protect them and start a systematic file and backup system.
3. Detect. Threat intelligence and experience-based detection can thwart even the most sophisticated attackers.
4. Respond. It’s imperative to stop attackers’ advances before real harm occurs.
5. Recover. Clean up infected devices, close backdoors and have a plan to recover damaged or out-of-commission assets.
6. Educate. Empower your employees to form a citizen army of cybersecurity checkpoints.

Combining powers to form the best defense

IDC also suggests the best ways that businesses can take action to protect themselves. By combining the powers of outside help with in-house know how, businesses benefit from the best of two worlds.

Ready to start protecting yourself and your business? Explore how Carbonite + Webroot provide a full range of cyber resilience solutions.

Download the IDC report.

* IDC’s Worldwide Small and Medium Business Survey, 2020

** IDC, Future Enterprise Resiliency & Spending Survey Wave 6, July 2021, IDC’s 2021 Ransomware Study: Where You Are Matters!