Today’s hackers aren’t neophytes playing around on a computer, they’re sophisticated IT experts who use scripts and automation to break into a victim’s system and spend months surveying their potential victims. “When they finally pull the trigger, they know where all the critical servers and backups are,” said Oli Thordarson of Alvaka Networks.

In this episode of Layers, CompTIA’s Miles Jobgen sits down with Thordarson to talk about ransomeware and how the IT security industry can respond to this changing threat. Listen to hear how MSPs can strengthen their individual security postures, why we need to build a collective database of information to analyze these attacks, and how to combat the impending PR spin that says MSPs aren’t safe anymore because they can’t protect themselves from ransomware.

Stay tuned to the end to hear how morality, pragmatism and financial fiduciary duties can determine whether a company should pay a ransom or not, and be sure to subscribe to this new podcast from CompTIA’s IT Security Community.