In our continuing series on the new malware menace known as ransomware, we’ve looked what it’s like to suffer a ransomware attack, why it’s become a weapon of choice for online criminals (they’re making gobs of money off it), and why it has grown so quickly (hackers are copying the SaaS industry’s highly-leveraged distribution model). Given how likely it is that you or someone you know will get hit by a ransomware attack in the coming months, now might be a good time to shore up your anti-ransomware defenses.

If you’re into touring car racing, you’d have heard about the TCR International Series. And if you heard about the TCR International series, you’d have probably heard about the Swedish WestCoast Racing Team. And if you heard about WestCoast Racing, you’d have heard about the driver Mikhail Grachev. And if you heard about Mikhail Grachev, you’d probably realize by now that he is one of the best drivers in the Series, with four victories already in his pocket this season.

Two weeks ago we heard reports of an author who risked his life sneaking past the firefighters into a burning house to save his laptop. It had the only copy of his latest novel. “When I heard my house was on fire,” Gideon Hodge said, “I ran up to the perimeter set by the firefighters, then walked calmly until I saw an opening that no one was watching. That was when I bolted for it!”

We are all too familiar with the concept of hidden costs. You work with suppliers and/or vendors, and it looks like their published pricing matches your expectations. That is until you get their quote (or worse, the invoice), and you see a very different figure. What happened? There were fees, charges or the licensing models that you have not taken into account. It could happen in every aspect of your life and work, and backup solutions are no different. Let’s talk about potential hidden costs you need to be aware of.