Storm7 Labs, specializing in ransomware readiness—helping organizations develop systems and policies to protect their data from cryptoviral extortion and other malicious attacks, has launched in Northeast Ohio, by founder Dave Samic.
Storm7 Labs doesn’t produce anti-virus software. Instead, it brings decades of experience to the table to help existing anti-virus solutions work better together.
“The problem is growing exponentially in 2020, so it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” states Samic. “Many vendors have solutions, but we provide experience. We identify shortcomings in your readiness campaign. We’ll recommend areas with a lack of security. That might be a lack of software updates or improper backups. The new buzzword is ‘cyberhygiene’—how you walk, talk and keep yourself clean so your data and company don’t get sick. As with health in general, early detection and adopting smart policies is essential.”
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In addition to 30 years of experience running multi-million dollar companies, Dave Samic is a former police officer and firefighter—and he doesn’t like it when the bad guys win.
“I was a police officer for 22 years, and the idea is to patrol the neighborhood, to deter crime with security software and firewalls, but it comes down to the weakest link,” Samic says. “Most IT departments have a small staff and run on a shoestring budget. They don’t look at protecting the organization holistically. It’s not their fault. They’re scrambling around trying to manage 50 servers and keep everyone’s email working, while the big picture and business focus is not their priority.”
While publicly held organizations are required to reveal ransomware payments, privately held companies are not. As a result, the frequency of attacks is being underreported in the U.S. and around the world because few CEOs want to admit that the organizations they run have been victimized.
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“Unlike malware that destroys your data, ransomware—as the name implies—simply holds it hostage,” Samic explains. “You can see your data, but you can’t read it because it’s encrypted. It’s like looking into the windows of your own home, seeing all of your stuff, but being unable to get inside—and there is no locksmith you can call.”
Because the only option in the event of an attack is often to pay the ransom, the solution is prevention, and many organizations are ill-prepared.
Traditional signature-based virus protection programs can help, but behavioral-based systems are now essential, Samic says.
“If someone is attempting to access data that they’ve never accessed before—your system should ask, ‘Hey, should this be happening?’ And it’s not just one thing; it’s about layering. It’s monitoring emails, shared files, USB sticks. It’s software, yes, but it’s also about training and managing employee behavior and corporate policies. These viruses can be in place for a long time just waiting to be activated by the click of a mouse.”
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