New York- Apex Technology Services, a leading IT consulting provider for business computer support and managed network services, today responds to newly released HIPAA guidance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights on the issue of ransomware.

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks access to a computer system and blocks access until a fee is paid by the victim. Ransomware has emerged as a top cybersecurity threat in 2016, and the healthcare industry is being heavily targeted by hackers.

The purpose of the updated HIPAA guidance, which was released on June 20, is to help healthcare entities more effectively prevent, detect, respond and contain ransomware threats.Some of the recommended practices outlined in the advisory include conducting a thorough risk analysis, setting up specific procedures to prevent malicious software from entering the network, maintaining a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plan, and enforcing strong access control on the network.

Apex Technology Services is fully committed to providing organizations in the healthcare industry with the necessary guidance and support for managing ransomware threats. Apex Technology Services can also offer services for companies on the edge of the healthcare network that manage personal healthcare information and are required to abide by HIPAA regulations.

“The bottom line is that if you are a healthcare entity, or you do business with a healthcare entity, you are a target for a ransomware attack,” stated Rich Tehrani, CEO of Apex Technology Services. “Businesses across all industries are strongly advised to take preventative action to protect their networks, by educating employees about cyberthreats and performing regular data backups. While you can’t always prevent a ransomware attack, you can drastically improve your chances of recovery.”

A new breed of hacktrepeneurs has awoken and they have little to fear and everything to gain by infecting as many companies as possible and extorting money from them. Apex Technology Services stands ready to protect your company regardless of whether it’s located in New York City; White Plains, New York; Connecticut; Australia; Europe; or anywhere else. Our full suite of cybersecurity and IT support services is at your disposal, enabling you to spend less time worrying about and more time growing your business.

In addition, our new Cybersecurity Compliance Certification for law firms will help keep your legal practice from becoming the next Panama Papers victim. This baseline cybersecurity audit for the legal industry should be considered seriously by all law firms.