Ransomware News: Atlanta Ransomware Attack Estimated to Cost $2.6 Million

There doesn’t appear to be any good news in sight for the city of Atlanta after their recent run-in with ransomware. The city has been dealing with the effects of the attack since March, and was forced to pay more than $2.6 million in recovery efforts.

The city had to bear the cost of various emergency services including digital forensics, incident response, staffing, and more

Still, as we found in Datto’s State of the Channel Ransomware Report, the ransom demand will often pale in comparison to the associated downtime costs and lost revenue when you can't resume normal business operations. This is a perfect example, as the original ransom demand was about $50,000.

This event is yet another reminder that paying the ransom is NEVER the answer. Even if victims pay the ransom demand, there is no guarantee they will receive their data back unharmed or avoided falling victim to additional attacks or encryptions from the same attackers.

Instead, the only solution to a ransomware attack is a combination of BDR, cybersecurity education, and antivirus software.

To find out how to protect against ransomware and what MSPs can do to fight back, check out the full report. The report features new stats and forecasts on ransomware and its impact on businesses, the leading variants, best practices for ransomware protection, and more. Download it today!