Cloud IT services and business applications provider Intermedia today released a new tool aimed at negating the most damaging effects of ransomware attacks by restoring access to locked files and letting employees get back to work almost immediately.

SecuriSync is a cloud-based backup and file sync-share (FSS) solution that allows enterprise users to instantly restore an archive of files to its pre-infected state, and give employees immediate access to the unlocked files from any available uninfected devices.

The service is billed as an effective counter to the recent rash of ransomware attacks that have crippled hospitals and other businesses, after cyber-attackers encrypted critical data files and extorted thousands of dollars in Bitcoin ransoms in exchange for decryption keys.

Intermedia’s 2016 Crypto-Ransomware study found that 72 percent of ransomware attack victims were unable to access data for at least two days and nearly a third (32 percent) were locked out for five days or more.

“In the event of a ransomware outbreak, businesses previously would spend multiple days recovering locked files off outdated backups, or they would pay the ransom hoping to regain them,” said Richard Walters, senior vice president of security products at Intermedia. “SecuriSync is a complete file management solution that combines real-time backup, mass restore capabilities and remote access, turning a would-be disaster into a mild disruption.”

SecuriSync service can be deployed as part of Intermedia’s Office in the Cloud virtual desktop offering, or integrated with Office 365 and other IT environments.

Prices start at $4.99 per user, per month.

At least 14 U.S. hospitals were hit by cyberattacks during the past two months, with some paying thousands of dollars in ransoms to regain access to crippled networks.

The MedStar Health chain was particularly hard hit, and operations at several of the company’s Maryland- and Washington, D.C.-area hospitals were unable to return to normal for more than a week following one late-March attack.

Such breaches prompted a flurry of technological innovation seeking to defend networks against malware or enhance the efficacy of backup and disaster recovery (BDR) responses.

“We’ve picked up half a dozen or more new customers as a result of ransomware attacks,” Koert Council, a partner at IT solutions provider Kosh Solutions, said in a statement. “Heightened media exposure has made businesses realize they are vulnerable and need protection.”

“No business today can afford the potential loss of three or more days of revenue while they scramble to recover,” Council said. “Now with SecuriSync, our clients can skip paying the ransom altogether.”

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