What the FA Cup can teach businesses about ransomware

As Manchester City and Manchester United prepare to face off in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on 25th May 2024, business leaders may find surprising lessons in the game that can be applied to ransomware protection. David Bennett, CEO of Object First, highlights four key insights that businesses can glean from the world’s oldest national football competition.

Bennett begins, “First played during the 1871-1872 season, the FA Cup holds a special place in the hearts of fans who have watched it for generations.” He suggests that the focus and strategy required to succeed in the high-stakes football match mirror the vigilance needed to guard against ransomware threats.

The first lesson Bennett draws from football is the importance of maintaining concentration until the final whistle. “For any successful, cohesive team, maintaining focus for the full 90 (or 120) minutes is crucial,” he states. Likewise, businesses must remain consistently vigilant and implement robust solutions to protect themselves from threat actors around the clock.

The second lesson emphasises that defending is a team game. “All players need to think about defending to help stop the opposition’s advances,” Bennett notes. He warns against relying solely on a few security measures, as this invites potential breaches. Instead, comprehensive defence strategies should be employed at every layer to protect sensitive data from ransomware attacks, including securing backup data, which is increasingly being targeted.

The third lesson is about adaptability and quick response. Bennett explains, “If one team comes close to conceding a goal from a particular tactical approach, they need to quickly adjust their strategy.” Similarly, businesses need to rapidly respond to recurrent attacks by modifying their defensive measures and employing different tools to address vulnerabilities effectively.

The fourth and final lesson is the necessity of having backups ready to go. “If either team suffers an unexpected injury, they need to quickly bring on a substitute to ensure there’s no drop in performance,” Bennett draws the analogy. For businesses, this translates to having data backups readily accessible to minimise downtime caused by ransomware attacks. With 93% of ransomware attacks specifically targeting backups, having immutable backup storage—where data cannot be altered or deleted for a certain period—is essential.

Object First’s solution, Ootbi, offers ‘Out-Of-The-Box Immutability’ to ensure complete protection for data backups. This storage solution aims to mitigate risks by preventing data modification and ensuring continuity in the face of cyber threats.

Bennett’s insights provide a unique perspective on how the strategic and team-oriented nature of football can offer valuable lessons in cybersecurity. As businesses face increasing threats from ransomware, adopting a similar approach to focus, teamwork, adaptability, and preparedness can be crucial in safeguarding crucial information.