What Happens If My Business Gets Hit by Ransomware?

Phase 1: Initial Infection (Day 0)

Ransomware typically enters your network through:

• • Phishing emails with malicious attachments or links
• • Compromised websites that download malware
• • Exploited vulnerabilities in unpatched software
• • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) attacks on weak credentials
• • Infected USB drives or external devices

Most employees don't realize they've triggered the infection. The ransomware often operates silently in the background.

Phase 2: Reconnaissance (Days 1-7)

Modern ransomware doesn't encrypt immediately. Instead, attackers:

• • Map your entire network to find all connected systems
• • Locate backup systems and attempt to disable or encrypt them
• • Identify your most valuable data (customer records, financial data, intellectual property)
• • Escalate privileges to gain administrator access
• • Exfiltrate sensitive data for double extortion

This is the most dangerous phase because the malware is spreading while remaining undetected.

Phase 3: Encryption (Day 7-14)

When attackers are ready, they trigger the encryption:

• • Files across your network begin encrypting simultaneously
• • File extensions change (e.g., .encrypted, .locked)
• • Systems slow down or become unresponsive
• • Applications crash as they can't access needed files
• • Backup systems are encrypted or deleted

Encryption can happen in minutes to hours. By the time you notice, it's often too late to stop it.

Direct Costs

• Ransom Payment: Average $812,360 in 2024
• Recovery Costs: $1.85M average (including IT services, forensics, legal fees)
• Regulatory Fines: Can reach millions for data breach violations
• Insurance Deductibles: Typically $25,000-$100,000