FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent headlines have been dominated by reports of ransomware attacks in which victims must pay ransoms ranging from $500 to $5,000 per incident before cyberthieves will release their data. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, HHS Office for Civil Rights, and other security experts have published excellent recommendations for preventing these attacks.

Ransomware is a type of malware installed on a computer or server that encrypts the files, making them unusable until a ransom is paid. It is an increasingly common cybercrime whose success virtually guarantees that these attacks will continue.

"Our best security advice is to back up your data on a daily basis, verify the backup is complete, and store it securely offsite, outside of your network," said Jaime Rodriguez, director of technical services for JDL Technologies. "This ensures your data will be restorable if you experience a ransomware attack. We also advise regularly updating software and applications as vendor patches are released, and making sure all of your antimalware tools are enabled, set to update automatically, and scanning regularly."

Unfortunately, many businesses lack the bandwidth to implement and maintain effective security measures, which makes them more attractive targets. In these cases, a managed or hosted service can provide effective protection without adding to the business workload or affecting productivity. As an example, a new managed service from JDL Technologies, Security FastTrack, ensures data security on any device, anytime, anywhere, without restricting how employees work.

Security FastTrack is based on the popular HIPAA FastTrack service for healthcare providers, and incorporates the same layered security strategy and enterprise-grade security tools that have made HIPAA FastTrack so effective. Demonstrations of Security FastTrack are available on request. Additional recommendations for preventing ransomware are available to download at the JDL Resource Center.

Security FastTrack is a finalist for two 2017 Information Security awards, including Innovation in Cloud Security. Winners will be announced at the Global Excellence Awards in San Francisco on February 13, 2017.

About JDL Technologies

JDL Technologies provides information technology solutions to business, healthcare, and education through its JDL TechWatch, JDL HealthTech, and JDL EduTech brands. JDL Technologies is a credentialed Trustmark Managed Service Provider and one of the 2016 Elite 150 Managed Service Providers in North America as ranked by The Channel Company. Managed service clients, including FastTrack clients, are supported through the company's compliant, award-winning Managed Service Operations Center. JDL Technologies is a Communications Systems, Inc. company (NASDAQ: JCS).

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SOURCE JDL Technologies