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Ransomware & incident response

Ransomware is still the attack most likely to take a Canadian business offline. This guide covers how these attacks unfold and how to be ready before one lands.

A ransomware incident is rarely a single moment — it is the end of a chain that often started with a phishing email or an exposed account weeks earlier. Understanding that chain is what lets you break it early, and what separates a contained event from a business-stopping one.

The articles below walk through how attackers actually get in, the early warning signs of a breach, and the practical steps — incident response plans, tabletop exercises, and a response retainer — that mean you are deciding from a prepared position rather than improvising under pressure.

In this guide

7 articles

Threats

Ransomware Attack? A Step-by-Step Guide for Canadian Businesses

Hit by ransomware? A clear, step-by-step guide for Canadian businesses on what to do during a ransomware attack — and the costly mistakes to avoid.

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Threats

How Attackers Break Into Small Businesses

Most small-business breaches start the same few ways — phishing, stolen passwords, unpatched systems. Here's how attackers get in, and how to shut each door.

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Threats

7 Warning Signs Your Business Has Already Been Breached

Not sure how to tell if your business has been hacked? These seven warning signs often mean an attacker is already inside your network.

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Threats

An Employee Clicked a Phishing Link — Here's What to Do in the Next Hour

An employee clicked a phishing link — what should you do? A calm, step-by-step plan for the first hour to contain the damage.

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Guides

Your Incident Response Plan: The Document You'll Wish You Had at 2 a.m. (Free Outline)

How to write an incident response plan for your business — a plain-language guide with a free outline you can adapt today.

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Guides

How to Run a Ransomware Tabletop Exercise

A tabletop exercise finds the gaps in your ransomware plan before a real attack does. Here's how to run a simple, useful one for your business — step by step.

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Managed Security

Incident Response Retainers: What They Are and Who Needs One

An incident response retainer puts a security team on standby before you're breached. Here's what a retainer includes, what it costs, and whether you need one.

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