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AXEL News Update

Axel News May 2021

It’s an exciting time for AXEL. Here are our top recent news items:

  • AXEL Go now available on legal tech marketplace Theorem
    • AXEL is committed to providing innovative and secure legal tech to the legal community. That’s why AXEL Go, the file-sharing and cloud storage platform, is now available through Theorem. Store, share, and collect vital documents securely with AXEL Go.
  • AXEL’s Q&A with The Florida Bar
    • AXEL General Counsel Dave Kaplan sat down with The Florida Bar to discuss data security, AXEL Go, and its practicality for all legal professionals. Continuing its strong relationship with the legal community, AXEL is proud to offer 20% off AXEL Go to members of The Florida Bar. Click here to receive the offer.
  • AXEL Go’s features now available in Outlook
    • AXEL Go is now available through Microsoft AppSource. Outlook users can simply download the app to receive AXEL Go’s signature security features. Download the app here.

This page will be updated regularly as the company grows and our technology matures. Please check back soon for more AXEL news!

AXEL Events

Axel Events

AXEL regularly hosts events to educate people on topics such as data security, decentralized technology, digital privacy, and more. Upcoming events include:

  • AXEL Go Webinar Training – July 29, 9AM PT. AXEL is excited to offer a webinar training on Wednesday, July 28. Available to all, you’ll learn the details of AXEL Go, its features, and its security. If you’re new to AXEL Go, this is the webinar to attend.
  • TECHLAW.FEST – September 22-24. AXEL is virtually attending 2021 TECHLAW.FEST. Learn about new and innovative legal tech and how AXEL offers security solutions to legal professionals with AXEL Go, the secure file-sharing and storage software.

Our most recent past events were:

  • Connecticut Legal Conference – AXEL sponsored a session at the Connecticut Legal Conference, discussing the importance of data security for all legal professionals.
  • State Bar of Nevada Annual Bar Conference –  AXEL is proud to be a featured Exhibitor at the State Bar of Nevada’s Annual Bar Conference held in San Diego, California. We highlighted AXEL Go; our secure, private file-sharing and online storage platform. Nevada attorneys saw how they can meet their ethical obligations to data security by using AXEL Go.

Lawyers are the New I.T.: Tech Tips for Legal Professionals

As workplaces embrace modern technology more than ever before, knowledge of that technology is essential. No matter your job, employees must possess some amount of technical skill in order to maintain efficiency and complete their tasks. Even the most traditional law firms in the United States use some amount of technology. However, no matter if you work at a more traditional firm or one that has gleefully embraced legal tech, we can all become more advanced and efficient with our technology.

From increasing efficiency to protecting your business (and your clients), these tech tips will help ensure your firm is offering the very best.

Embrace New Tech

This may sound simple, but embracing new technology is one of the best ways to stay efficient and safe in the workplace. No, you don’t have to buy new computers every six months, but being aware and researching new programs can give you an edge over the competition. Find out what software can help automate your tasks, or what legal tech program saves your firm valuable time.

The best businesses are all embracing the technology that is available to them. However, change can certainly be scary. After all, many of us learned to work from home, using new software and programs that we weren’t used to. It was undoubtedly stressful to learn so many new programs in a short amount of time. But after a bit, we got used to it. We mastered the new technology, and are more efficient and successful because of it. Using new technology can be daunting, but it undoubtedly helps yourself and your business in the long run.

Update, Update, Update

Updating your software is one of the most important (and easiest) tech tasks to complete. We’ve all seen them and occasionally ignore them. Restarting a device in the middle of a workday can certainly be annoying, but it’s vital to do so. Software updates patch security holes and other vulnerabilities in your software. And as we’ve seen with the numerous ransomware attacks this year, cybercriminals will find these vulnerabilities and exploit you and your business without hesitation. Updating your operating systems and security software will give you more protection against these threats.

Take Advantage of Free Trials

Many legal tech providers offer free trials of their products for firms. Use them! Test out new programs often to see if it works for your firm. Don’t become complacent simply because you’re used to a certain software. If there’s software that fits your firm’s needs better, try it out.

Technology has never been stagnant; it advances quickly, and new programs that maximize efficiency can come quickly as well. Being open-minded about new programs and software will help ensure your firm is as efficient as possible. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should change your entire firm’s software every week, but learning about and testing out new programs will keep you knowledgeable about the technology that could potentially help your firm. And when a new program comes out that works perfectly for your workplace, you’ll be the first to take advantage of it.

Learn Your Technology

Most of us know the basics of computers and common software, but there are so many more things to learn. From the classic “Ctrl + C” and “Ctrl + V” for copying and pasting to the most advanced Excel commands, there are so many ways to maximize efficiency with shortcuts. Take an afternoon to learn and practice shortcuts that can help your efficiency at the office. And when your business upgrades to new software, learn that software quickly as well! Learning the ins and outs of programs can save you hours per day, leaving more time available for other projects.

In addition to learning about your technology, you should learn what to do when the technology suddenly stops working. From Internet outages to hardware malfunctions, be aware of common troubleshooting techniques to help prevent costly, efficiency-killing problems throughout the office. Learning these techniques can save you both time and money.

Backup Your Documents

Unfortunately in today’s digital era, online documents are constantly in jeopardy. Security holes, data breaches, and cybercriminals all pose a threat to data in the cloud. The solution? Make sure your data is available offline. This means putting your documents (yes, all of them) onto a physical hard drive, safe from online dangers.

In addition, you should update your hard drive often. Don’t make it a one-and-done task; update your hard drive monthly. This ensures that all of your data, including your most recent documents, are safe and secure from cybercriminals and ransomware attacks. After all, they can’t hold your data hostage if you already have it offline. So while this is a monthly task that takes some time, it gives yourself and your business peace of mind, with the knowledge that your data will always be available.

Encrypt Your Data

Finally, to truly protect your data, encryption is the way to go. Encryption changes your data into a code, and can only be accessed with a “key” to that code. This means if hackers got ahold of your encrypted data, they would have nothing of value. It really is the ultimate form of protection from cybercriminals and data breaches.

However, not all encryption is built the same. For example, AXEL Go, AXEL’s file-sharing and cloud-storage software, offers industry-leading AES 256-bit encryption. While 256-bit encryption may not sound impressive, in practice, it is astoundingly secure. The number of potential combinations to find the “key” is a massive 78-digit number. Experts estimate it would take the world’s fastest supercomputer billions of years to find the encryption key. So even if thieves got their hands on your encrypted data, it’s worthless to them, but usable for you.

Get Two Free Weeks of AXEL Go

If you’re ready to embrace new technology and protect your data, try two free weeks of AXEL Go. AXEL Go is a file-sharing software with an unwavering focus on security. AXEL Go lets employees share, store, and collect documents securely, all in a simple, easy-to-understand user interface. Offering blockchain technology, military-grade encryption, and digital “shredding,” AXEL Go offers the perfect marriage of simplicity and stringent security. To try AXEL Go for free for two weeks, click here.

For Here or To Go? Remote Work, Hybrid Offices and the Future of the Workplace

In March 2020, traditional offices were shaken by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees were forced to work from home, forced to learn new software and techniques just as the stress and worry of the pandemic reached an apex. For the first few months of remote work, employees learned how to do their jobs remotely, while offices remained ghost towns. Both employers and employees were stressed not only about the pandemic, but about when offices could finally reunite.

While the pandemic is waning in the United States, remote work has stayed, at least for traditional office jobs.  And while some offices are transitioning back to physical workplaces, many companies are doing away with mandatory in-person work. Now, employees know efficient strategies for working remotely. And many have realized the conveniences of working from home: No more commutes, more time to watch children, and a healthier work-life balance. With both employers and employees singing the praises of remote work, it’s fair to ask: What is the future of the workplace?

Opinions on Remote Work

Generally, employees like hybrid work more than employers. 55% of employees prefer working at home at least three days per week, while 68% of executives believe workers should be in the office at least three days per week [1]. This disconnect highlights the murky future of work in the United States. Employers want to maintain a strong company culture, while employees want to keep the massive benefits that come with at-home work.

And even though the United States is on the back-end of the pandemic, executives still aren’t sure what the future holds. 60% of respondents to a McKinsey survey stated that their employer’s workplace plans for after the pandemic were either vague or nonexistent [2]. Some executives have shown a willingness to continue remote work indefinitely, while some want in-person work to return soon. In fact, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon called at-home work ​​“an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible [3].” 

However, it is simply too early to know what the future of office work is. Of course, not every workplace has the option to work remotely. Food service workers, healthcare workers, and others simply don’t have the option to work from home. McKinsey’s study notes that a shift to remote work could further inequality, as remote work is likely only to be offered to highly educated, well-paid employees [4]. So while traditional offices may continue the transition to remote work, the debate around in-person versus at-home work simply doesn’t apply to all workers.

Is Hybrid the Future?

But for those occupations that have shifted to remote work during the pandemic, could a compromise between employers and employees be the future of office work? A hybrid model combines remote and in-person work at a workplace. Some (or all) employees have the choice to work at home, at the office, or a combination of the two. This flexibility was necessary during the height of the pandemic, but as the country returns to normalcy, employees have gotten used to the convenience of at-home work. And the benefits extend to employers as well, as remote work means fewer costs for physical workplace expenses, including rent and office supplies.

So if there are so many benefits to remote models, why are many executives wary of this potential change? Fear of change, productivity concerns, and protecting company culture are just a few of these anxieties. However, recent studies have found that productivity has either been stable or actually increased during the transition to at-home work, in spite of technical challenges, family responsibilities, and pandemic-related anxieties. A Forbes study found that most workers thought that their per-hour productivity increased while working remotely versus in-person work [5].

Challenges of Hybrid Work

While there are benefits that come with a hybrid model, there are undoubtedly downsides as well. One well-known detriment of remote work is the social isolation that comes along with it. While staying at home can be convenient, it can also prevent workers from forming personal relationships. It could lead to fewer opportunities to learn skills that are necessary for career advancement [6]. 

In addition, there is a generational divide on opinions of at-home work as well. Although some may assume younger generations are more comfortable with remote work, the opposite is true. Members of Gen Z have more concerns about remote work than older generations. They list the lack of networking opportunities, few genuine connections, and general isolation as the downsides of at-home work [7].

However, hybrid models try to mitigate these drawbacks as much as possible. After all, a hybrid model offers both in-person and at-home work. So while these downsides could still exist, they could be minimized in a hybrid workplace.

Tips to be a Successful Remote Worker

Although the pandemic is winding down, it’s important to know some tips and tricks to ensure you stay productive and happy during your shift.

  • Communicate: Without in-person meetings and checkups, everyone has to know their responsibilities. While it can be tedious, this means emailing superiors, asking questions, and being in contact with other coworkers. Clearly communicating with everyone helps ensure that tasks don’t slip through the cracks.
  • Structure: Make a schedule to follow every workday. Plan specific hours to work on a project, and stick to the plan! Structuring your workday helps ensure you remain focused on specific projects, and also helps keep your work life and home life separated.
  • Visit: Whether it be a trip to the office for a short meeting, or a couple hours at a local coffee shop, getting out of the house is important. Not only does working from a different location prevent feelings of burnout, but a new location can boost productivity as well. Do work tasks at different places to see where you feel most efficient.

Overall, becoming a successful hybrid worker is about finding what makes you most comfortable. If you love talking with coworkers at the water cooler and enjoy the structure of a physical workplace, then in-person work may be for you. But if you feel more comfortable and productive at home, remote work may keep you at top efficiency. Either way, hybrid workplaces offer workers that choice, ensuring that every worker can be both comfortable and efficient at their job.

[1] Gurchiek, Kathy. “Hybrid Work Model Likely to Be New Norm in 2021.” SHRM. July 06, 2021. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/hybrid-work-model-likely-to-be-new-norm-in-2021.aspx.

[2] Alexander, Andrea, Aaron De Smet, Meredith Langstaff, and Dan Ravid. “What Employees Are Saying about the Future of Remote Work.” McKinsey & Company. July 15, 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/what-employees-are-saying-about-the-future-of-remote-work.

[3] Blenford, Adam. “Remote Work Won’t Be Going Away Once Offices Are Open Again.” Bloomberg.com. March 5, 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-05/work-from-home-workplaces-will-let-employees-mix-home-and-remote-work.

[4] Lund, Susan, Anu Madgavkar, James Manyika, and Sven Smit. “What’s next for Remote Work: An Analysis of 2,000 Tasks, 800 Jobs, and Nine Countries.” McKinsey & Company. March 03, 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/whats-next-for-remote-work-an-analysis-of-2000-tasks-800-jobs-and-nine-countries.

[5] Gaskell, Adi. “How Productive Have Remote Workers Been During Covid?” Forbes. May 31, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2021/05/31/how-productive-have-remote-workers-been-during-covid/.

[6] “Practice Innovations: Building the Hybrid Work Environment.” Thomson Reuters Institute. June 10, 2021. https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/legal/practice-innovations-hybrid-work-environment/.

[7] Sherr, Ian. “Gen Z Is Getting Screwed by Remote Work, Microsoft Survey Finds.” CNET. March 22, 2021. https://www.cnet.com/news/gen-z-is-getting-screwed-by-remote-work-new-microsoft-survey-says/.

The Fallout of Edward Snowden and his Leaked Documents, Eight Years Later

On June 21, 2021, Edward Snowden celebrated his 38th birthday in Russia. He’s been in the country for over eight years, having been granted permanent residence in the country in October 2020 [1]. Snowden, an American, has not returned to his native country since leaking millions of classified documents detailing the massive surveillance programs that the United States undertook.

While many have heard Edward Snowden’s name, the programs that he uncovered have seemingly faded in the public consciousness in recent years. Snowden’s reveal of massive global surveillance programs in 2013 was a wake-up call for many Americans, when modern technology and digital communication were truly becoming everyday tools at work and home. His leaked documents highlighted how so many Internet activities are never truly private.

Snowden’s Career Beginnings and Disillusionment

Snowden began his career by joining the Army in May 2004, but was discharged four months later due to broken legs he suffered in a training accident [2]. Following his short time in the Armed Forces, he gained a position as a “security specialist” at an NSA-contracted facility, beginning his time in the intelligence community. He then joined the CIA in 2006 until 2009, years that disillusioned his faith in America’s intelligence community [3]. He described an incident where the CIA purposefully intoxicated a Swiss banker and encouraged him to drive home. When the banker was arrested for drunk driving, the CIA offered him help in exchange for becoming an informant. 

Following his resignation from the CIA, Snowden worked as an NSA contractor in Japan with high-level security clearance for three years before moving to Hawaii to join Booz Allen Hamilton, another private contractor. He joined Booz Allen Hamilton with the sole intent of gaining clearance to new classified files. After just a few weeks on the job, Snowden gained access to the classified material, downloaded it on a flash drive, and fled the United States shortly afterward. Finally, he distributed the materials to media outlets he trusted, particularly The Guardian, with the first revelations posted publicly in June 2013.

What Programs Did Snowden Reveal?

The biggest revelation in Snowden’s leaked documents was the existence of a National Security Agency program called PRISM. Under the program, the NSA had direct access to the servers of the biggest tech companies, including Google, Apple and Facebook without their knowledge [4]. Using this direct access, the NSA could collect users’ emails, search history, and file transfers without a court order. Even if you were an American citizen, you could have been subject to this surveillance if your messages ever touched a non-American server.

Snowden explained the horrifying simplicity of the NSA’s programs, stating “I, sitting at my desk, [could] wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge or even the president, if I had a personal email [5].” This allegation was initially denied by government officials, yet leaked documents showed a program called XKeystore allowed analysts to search enormous databases with just one piece of identifying information [5].

In addition, Snowden revealed NSA phone-tapping of allied leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [6]. These revelations caused an uproar among American allies, particularly in Europe. The NSA also monitored various charity organizations and businesses including UNICEF, the United Nations’ agency dedicated to providing aid to children worldwide and Petrobras, Brazil’s largest oil company.

The Legal Justification

All of these programs were justified by Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, a bill signed in 2008 that amended the original Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The 2008 amendment rid FISA of its warrant requirement, allowing the NSA to spy on any foreign communications without a court order. In practice, this meant any communications that touched a foreign server were legally allowed to be collected.

Snowden explained “Even if you sent [a message] to someone within the United States, your wholly domestic communication between you and your wife can go to New York to London and back and get caught up in the database [7].” Because the data had reached a foreign server, no matter how short of a time, the NSA was able to collect, store and potentially analyze that data through Section 702’s legal framework. 

The Effects

A Washington Post investigation found that approximately 90% of account holders in a leaked data cache were ordinary Internet users, with just a tenth of the account holders being NSA targets [8]. These account holders were subject to daily tracking, with NSA analysts having access to intimate conversations unrelated to national security. Put simply, the NSA had access to millions of Americans’ personal data, able to be perused by low-level analysts with little more than an email address.

In addition, government officials’ responses to Snowden’s leaks were swift and severe. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Snowden’s leaks “told terrorists what they can now do to (avoid) detection [9].” Various other officials agreed with Kerry’s assessment, stating that suspected terrorists had begun changing their communication tactics following Snowden’s revelations [10]. While the NSA claimed that digital surveillance helped prevent over 50 “potential terrorist events,” then-President Obama stated that other methods could have prevented those attacks [11].

Data Privacy vs. Protection

Above all, the NSA has been criticized for conducting digital surveillance beyond the scope of national security. While government officials have stated that the surveillance saved countless lives by preventing terrorist attacks, claims that these programs solely stopped potential terror attacks are dubious. The inappropriate collection of everyday Americans’ data, however, is undeniable. Millions of Americans’ emails, video calls and search histories were readily available to low-level NSA analysts. While Edward Snowden remains a highly controversial figure today, his revelations of mass global surveillance undoubtedly increased Americans’ concern for data privacy. And while some still view Snowden as a criminal or traitor, some see him as a brave whistleblower who revealed just how exposed our data, and our lives, can be.

  1. Ilyushina, Mary. “Edward Snowden Gets Permanent Residency in Russia – Lawyer.” CNN. October 22, 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/europe/edward-snowden-russia-residency-intl/index.html.
  1. Ackerman, Spencer. “Edward Snowden Did Enlist for Special Forces, US Army Confirms.” The Guardian. June 10, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/10/edward-snowden-army-special-forces.
  1. Harding, Luke. “How Edward Snowden Went from Loyal NSA Contractor to Whistleblower.” The Guardian. February 01, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/edward-snowden-intelligence-leak-nsa-contractor-extract.
  1. Greenwald, Glenn, and Ewen MacAskill. “NSA Prism Program Taps in to User Data of Apple, Google and Others.” The Guardian. June 07, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data.
  1. Greenwald, Glenn. “XKeyscore: NSA Tool Collects ‘nearly Everything a User Does on the Internet’.” The Guardian. July 31, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data.
  1. Ball, James, and Nick Hopkins. “GCHQ and NSA Targeted Charities, Germans, Israeli PM and EU Chief.” The Guardian. December 20, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/20/gchq-targeted-aid-agencies-german-government-eu-commissioner.
  1. Sanders, Katie. “PolitiFact – Fact-checking John Oliver’s Interview with Edward Snowden about NSA Surveillance.” Politifact. April 9, 2015. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/apr/09/edward-snowden/fact-checking-john-olivers-interview-edward-snowde/.
  1. Gellman, Barton, Julie Tate, and Ashkan Soltani. “In NSA-intercepted Data, Those Not Targeted Far Outnumber the Foreigners Who Are.” The Washington Post. July 05, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-nsa-intercepted-data-those-not-targeted-far-outnumber-the-foreigners-who-are/2014/07/05/8139adf8-045a-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html.
  1. “Kerry: Edward Snowden Should “man Up” and Come Home.” CBS News. May 28, 2014. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sec-kerry-edward-snowden-should-man-up-and-come-home/.
  1. Nakashima, Ellen, and Greg Miller. “U.S. Officials Worried about Security of Files Snowden Is Thought to Have.” The Washington Post. June 24, 2013. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-officials-worried-about-security-of-files-snowden-is-thought-to-have/2013/06/24/1e036964-dd09-11e2-85de-c03ca84cb4ef_story.html.
  2. Gerstein, Josh. “NSA: PRISM Stopped NYSE Attack.” POLITICO. June 19, 2013. https://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/nsa-leak-keith-alexander-092971.

Another Day, Another Cyberattack: Kaseya Software and the Future of Ransomware

Once again, a major ransomware attack has affected businesses and consumers across the globe. Kaseya, a software company that provides IT infrastructure for managed service providers, was the victim of this latest cyberattack. Over the 2021 Independence Day weekend, REvil, a Russian-based hacker gang sent out a malicious software update to Kaseya’s clients, resulting in up to 1,500 small businesses being compromised[1]. Now, the group is asking for USD 50 million to undo the damage, the largest ransomware demand in history[2].

While the effects on some compromised businesses were minor, others were hit hard. For example, hundreds of grocery stores in Sweden were forced to close after their cash registers became inoperable following the attack, with railways and pharmacies in the country also being affected[3]. Additionally, some New Zealand schools were taken offline because of the attack[4]. This worldwide attack shows how crippling ransomware attacks can be, and highlights the importance of businesses protecting and securing their data.

The History of REvil

REvil, short for Ransomware Evil, is a Russian-based group of cybercriminals that attacks businesses by encrypting their data and rendering it unusable until a ransom is paid to them. Founded in 2019, REvil quickly gained prominence and, recently, has increased the scale of its attacks. While the average ransom demand from REvil was just USD 728,000[5], recent attacks have shown the group’s willingness to aim for more. For example, REvil attacked JBS, a meat processing company, in May. While food shortages were avoided, the company still paid REvil USD 11 million to prevent further supply chain interruptions[6]. Even worse, REvil uses its ransom money to hire new hackers and research new ransomware technology, becoming a thriving business of cybercrime[5]. In just two years, REvil has become a powerful group, launching successful ransomware attacks across the globe.

A Troubling Trend

Unfortunately, the Kaseya attack is just one example of a larger problem faced by businesses around the globe. Hacker groups seek to attack and exploit any business they can by threatening to destroy or leak data unless a massive payment is made. Much worse than simple computer viruses, ransomware attacks can grind business to a halt within hours.

Cyberattacks involving ransomware have increased further in 2021, with recent attacks affecting people and businesses around the globe. In May, an attack on the Colonial Pipeline affected millions of Americans, causing fuel shortages in the Southeast. Even though Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom within hours of the attack, the effect was still felt by millions. 

The Colonial Pipeline attack was just one of the thousands of expected ransomware attacks in 2021[7], and, unfortunately, they show no sign of slowing down. As long as hackers continue to find vulnerabilities in business security, ransomware attacks will continue. With more and more work being done online, data becomes more and more vulnerable. Ransomware attackers can strike at any time, destroying a business’s ability to function. And even if a business pays the ransom, it can take a long period of time to get back to normal. 

So while ransomware prevention can be a headache, it helps make sure you are as protected as possible from attackers. After all, there is nothing hackers love more than a business with lax cybersecurity.

Tips to Prevent Ransomware Attacks

Create and Frequently Update Offline Backups of Data: While this is a time-consuming process, this is the best way to ensure your business can still function if a ransomware attack occurs. Backing up your data offline ensures that if you are affected by ransomware, your important data will be safe from hackers. Simply delete your affected systems and reupload your offline data onto a new system.

Consider Using White Hat Hackers: While hackers have a negative connotation, white hat hackers can help businesses tremendously. They ethically check and test your cybersecurity measures and inform you of any potential vulnerabilities. Once you know the issues, you can fix them and protect your business from the hackers who wish to hurt rather than help.

Update your Antivirus Software: This is the simplest, easiest way to make sure you and your business are protected from ransomware attacks. Each update of antivirus software helps patch vulnerabilities that are present. Staying up-to-date helps ensure you are as protected as possible from unethical hackers who check for holes in security. If your business is on an older version of antivirus software, hackers can find a way past the protection and hold your business hostage. Patching these holes through software updates keeps you safe from old security bugs that attackers often exploit.

The Future of Ransomware

As technology evolves further, unfortunately, so do the practices of unethical hackers. Every day, businesses and individuals put data at risk of cyberattacks. While businesses and antivirus softwares try to ensure every security vulnerability is patched, hackers may still find a way to attack. However, following the tips mentioned before and safeguarding your data can make you less likely to become a victim of a ransomware attack.

Unfortunately, if attackers obtain data and threaten to sell or leak it unless a ransom is paid, a business has few options other than paying the ransom or losing the data. Once attackers have access to the data, there is not much a business can do. This is why the best defense against ransomware is prevention. Taking the time to secure your data, update your software, and find vulnerabilities will increase your protection from cybercriminals who wish to wreak havoc on a business.

Securing Your Data

At AXEL, we believe data privacy is a right. Unlike other tech companies, we will never sell your data to third parties, helping ensure your data is only yours. Our file-sharing application, AXEL Go, uses blockchain technology and AES 256-bit encryption to provide the most secure cloud-sharing system in the industry. Whether for business or personal use, AXEL Go helps protect your most important files. 

Sign up today to receive a free 14-day trial of our Premium service with all of AXEL Go’s features unlocked. After the trial period, you can choose to continue your Premium account for just $9.99/month or use our Basic service free of charge. Together, we can help protect data from malicious attackers.

[1] “Up to 1,500 Businesses Compromised by Latest Ransomware Attack, Kaseya CEO Says.” CBS News. July 06, 2021. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ransomware-attack-kaseya-1500-businesses/.

[2] “In Private Conversation, Hackers behind Massive Ransomware Outbreak Lower Demand to $50 Million.” CNBC. July 05, 2021. http://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/05/revil-hackers-behind-massive-ransomware-outbreak-drop-demand-to-50m.html.

[3] Browning, Kellen. “Hundreds of Businesses, From Sweden to U.S., Affected by Cyberattack.” The New York Times. July 03, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/technology/cyberattack-businesses-ransom.html.

[4] Satter, Raphael. “Up to 1,500 Businesses Affected by Ransomware Attack, U.S. Firm’s CEO Says.” Reuters. July 05, 2021. http://www.reuters.com/technology/hackers-demand-70-million-liberate-data-held-by-companies-hit-mass-cyberattack-2021-07-05/

[5] Javers, Eamon. “Axis of REvil: What We Know about the Hacker Collective Taunting Apple.” CNBC. April 23, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/axis-of-revil-inside-the-hacker-collective-taunting-apple.html.

[6] Bunge, Jacob. “JBS Paid $11 Million to Resolve Ransomware Attack.” The Wall Street Journal. June 10, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/jbs-paid-11-million-to-resolve-ransomware-attack-11623280781.

[7] Hum, Thomas. “Over 65,000 Ransomware Attacks Expected in 2021: Former Cisco CEO.” Yahoo! Finance. June 14, 2021. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/over-65000-ransomware-attacks-expected-in-2021-former-cisco-ceo-125100793.html.