They say crime doesn’t pay, but clearly the architects behind GandCrab ransomware didn’t get that memo. They recently announced they were retiring thanks to the money they’ve made encrypting victims’ computers. At the beginning of June, operators of the notorious GandCrab strain of ransomware announced that “all good things come to an end” and they are ceasing their operations. Unfortunately the success they reported will likely provide a roadmap for other cybercriminals that will continue for a long time.

News of security breaches, data loss, and data theft is sadly a daily occurrence. Almost every industry and every size of organization have been hit — including governments, retailers, universities, and healthcare systems. What’s worse, affected businesses suffer both financial and reputational losses while being dragged into the news cycles. It’s clear that organizations and employees are not CyberFit enough to meet today’s data security and privacy challenges. Let’s look at how the landscape has changed and what organizations need to do to become CyberFit.

Another of the world’s major manufacturers was laid low recently by a ransomware attack. Production at ASCO, the giant Belgian airplane parts maker, has been halted for over a week with no end in sight. Nearly 1,000 employees have been sent home on paid leave while the company struggles to restore critical systems frozen by the malware assault. Unfortunately, the fate of ASCO has been shared by many organizations that are ill-prepared to combat the world’s deadliest malware threat. The incident reflects a number of major trends in the ongoing struggle between cybercriminals and their targets in the public and private sector.

As small businesses abandon CrashPlan – the backup service that recently abandoned them – many are migrating to reliable and easy-to-use business backup solutions from Acronis, which deliver more comprehensive coverage of their valuable data. Business owners, as well as the service providers who help these companies with their IT needs, can see for themselves how Acronis has the services they need to ensure the business continuity they expect.