Last year data breaches rose a staggering 40%, with 37 million records exposed, affecting every market sector including the government, financial services, education, health, and businesses the world over. Arguably the biggest cybersecurity threat in 2017 is ransomware. There were a massive 638 million ransomware attacks in 2016, representing an increase of 167x over the previous year and showing no signs of slowing in 2017. It is clear to any tech leader that precautions are necessary.

While many traditional safeguards against cybersecurity threats can and should be used, the only sure way to deem a ransomware attack powerless is to regularly backup essential files. Just as important, you need to be able to restore systems quickly and completely.

While making cybersecurity a top priority and enacting safeguards against threats is a strong step forward, it is often in an organization’s best interest to team up with IT experts in the field. When one solitary attack could cost a business millions of dollars, the very livelihood of every employee is on the line.

Healthcare providers face additional demands and regulations due to the unique nature of PHI. A person’s whole history and data profile is all in one place, making it a high value target for would be hackers. An average of at least one health data breach occurred every day in 2016 affecting 27,314,647 patient records, according to Protenus.



With the current demand of skilled cybersecurity professionals vastly outweighing the supply, there are simply not enough experienced candidates to fill open cybersecurity positions. Partnering with an IT solutions firm that can provide specialists experienced in spotting and diminishing the latest vulnerabilities is the most cost-effective option to keep any organization operating smoothly in 2017 and beyond.

Are you interested in learning more about how Crossroads can create an IT solution for your organization's cybersecurity needs? Contact us to learn more about what we can offer you.