In an alarming new report from Forbes, cybersecurity journalist Davey Winder exposes a chilling reality for business owners: for just $5,000, attackers can now purchase a ransomware package that enables them to carry out devastating attacks capable of inflicting half a million dollars in damage on targeted organizations. (Read the full article here)
The ransomware strain, reportedly targeting Windows environments, is being offered as part of an increasingly accessible and profitable ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) market. For cybercriminals, the barrier to entry is lower than ever—and for businesses, the cost of inaction just keeps rising.
According to the Forbes article, the ransomware being sold promises its buyers access to victims' environments and the ability to execute destructive operations for massive financial gain. The economics of this threat are staggeringly one-sided: a $5,000 investment for a $500,000 return is a dream scenario for threat actors—and a nightmare for business owners.
This isn’t just a warning for large enterprises. The ransomware-as-a-service model is built on scale, and that means small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly in the crosshairs. Why? Because they often lack the robust cybersecurity infrastructure of larger corporations, making them easier targets.
Traditionally, cybersecurity has relied heavily on a "Detect and Respond" approach. That means waiting for a threat to be identified before acting—hoping your tools or team catch it in time. But today's threats are too fast, too sophisticated, and too deceptive for that model to hold up.
By the time detection occurs, the damage is already done. Ransomware often spreads within seconds, encrypting files and shutting down systems before a response team can even begin to act.
As the Forbes article illustrates, attackers are not only getting bolder but are being handed more powerful tools on a silver platter. These RaaS kits can bypass traditional antivirus, mimic trusted processes, and even exploit zero-day vulnerabilities. If you’re still relying on detection to stop these threats, you’re already behind.
It’s time for a new model: Isolation and Containment. That’s exactly what AppGuard delivers.
AppGuard is a proven endpoint protection solution with a 10-year track record of success—now available for commercial use. It doesn’t try to detect malware. Instead, it prevents it from executing at all.
Isolation: AppGuard stops untrusted processes from interacting with or modifying core OS components, applications, and data.
Containment: It ensures that even if malware does get on the device, it cannot execute harmful actions or spread across your network.
Unlike detection-based tools that alert you after the fact, AppGuard keeps ransomware from launching in the first place—even if the malware is brand new or never-before-seen.
If a cybercriminal can invest $5,000 to inflict $500,000 in damages, then protecting your business must be seen not as a technical upgrade—but a strategic necessity.
Consider the costs:
Ransom payments
Downtime and operational losses
Reputation damage
Legal liabilities
Customer data loss
The list goes on. Yet, many SMBs still believe they're too small to be targeted or are relying on outdated, detection-based tools that can’t keep up with the evolving threat landscape.
Cybercriminals aren’t waiting, and your business can’t afford to either. It’s time to move beyond the broken model of "Detect and Respond" and adopt the proven power of Isolation and Containment.
AppGuard has been successfully protecting endpoints in highly targeted environments for over a decade. Now it’s available to you.
Talk with us at CHIPS today about how AppGuard can prevent the kind of ransomware attacks described in the Forbes article—before they ever start.
Don’t wait for detection. Prevent the breach. Contain the threat. Protect your business.
Contact CHIPS now to learn how AppGuard can secure your business from today’s most advanced ransomware threats.
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