Ransomware in the Cloud: What Businesses Need to Know

Datto's Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report revealed that software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications have emerged as a target for ransomware. The survey found that ransomware remains the most common cyber threat to small/medium businesses (SMBs) with attacks increasing significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cybercriminals are now looking at vulnerabilities that can be remotely exploited. 59% of MSPs said remote work resulted in increased ransomware attacks and 52% of MSPs reported that shifting client workloads to the cloud came with increased security vulnerabilities.

Nearly 1 in 4 MSPs reported ransomware attacks on clients' SaaS applications.

• 64% of MSPs report attacks within Microsoft 365
• 54% of MSPs report attacks within Dropbox
• 25% of MSPs report attacks within Google Workspace

For any organization using cloud-based collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 OneDrive for Business or Google Workspace, the impact of a ransomware attack can be swift and destructive. It only takes an infected laptop containing files that automatically sync to the cloud to multiply the infection exponentially. Those newly-infected files sync, then infect and encrypt other files in every connected system - including those of business partners or customers, whose files and collaboration tools will be similarly impacted. This can lead to significant harm to a business's reputation, lost data, and downtime.

Do you offer clients a ransomware attack recovery plan?

To keep clients up and running and restore files following a ransomware attack, secure backup for cloud data is essential. SaaS protection allows for the recovery of data instead of paying a ransom and can prevent the worst outcomes from ransomware. It also protects clients from accidental or intentional deletion of data by employees.

Datto SaaS Protection is a reliable, fully automated way to back up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data. A secure backup solution for cloud-based applications can keep important business data protected and mitigate any security risks related to remote work.