Ransomware encrypts your files and demands payment to get them back. Houston businesses in construction, legal, healthcare, and professional services are frequent targets because they depend on daily access to documents and email. Prevention and a tested recovery plan matter more than paying attackers.
How Ransomware Usually Gets In
Most attacks start with a phishing email, a weak remote desktop password, or an unpatched system on the network. One compromised account can spread across file shares in minutes if permissions are too open.
Closing those doors means MFA, patching, network segmentation, and removing unused remote access.
Technical Controls That Work
Use endpoint detection, restrict admin tools, block suspicious email attachments, and keep offline backups. Microsoft 365 and server backups should be separate so one infection cannot wipe both.
Document a simple incident plan: who to call, which systems to isolate first, and how to communicate with staff without using compromised email.
Recovery Without Paying the Ransom
Companies with tested backups often recover in hours instead of weeks. Hawkeye Core helps Houston businesses build backup and recovery runbooks before an attack, not during one.
If you suspect ransomware, disconnect affected machines from the network and call your IT partner immediately. Do not wait to see if files decrypt on their own.