NO BACKUP STRATEGY
"We didn’t think backups were necessary for such a small team."
COMPANY
Sector: Accounting
Size: 2 employees
Location: Brussels
FACTS & FIGURES
40 out of 50 companies tested were affected
Protection efforts: One manual backup per month
Business impact: Client files lost, company's reputation tarnished
STORY
A two-person accounting firm in Brussels was hit by ransomware. Client records, invoices, and tax returns all encrypted. When asked about backups, the answer was: “We had them... once... on an old USB drive.” Unfortunately, that drive was plugged in during the attack and got encrypted too.
INCIDENT OVERVIEW
A small accounting firm based in Brussels learned the hard way that backups are a bit like insurance, you don’t think about them until it’s too late. Their only working machine was corrupted by a power cut, and years of client records, tax files, and financial statements were destroyed in seconds. Their best answer for recovery was, “We had a USB drive... once.” That USB drive was still plugged in, and it was encrypted. In the aftermath, the firm lost a significant amount of data, missed important filing deadlines, and had to tell clients, embarrassingly, that their 2021 taxes would need to be redone from memory.
BUSINESS IMPACT
Loss of client data and inability to meet regulatory requirements
Potential legal liabilities from clients
Damaged credibility and reputation
SECURITY MEASURES
Ensure your backup is safe by following these tips to reduce risks and strengthen security configurations:
Implement automated cloud backups with versioning
Keep a duplicate in a separate physical location
Regularly test the restore process to ensure it works
Ensure backups are encrypted and well-protected
RESOURCES
