The Official Home of Learning Ransomware Response & Recovery
by W. Curtis Preston & Dr. Mike Saylor
Your Complete Ransomware Defense Resource
Whether you’re an IT professional, business leader, or security practitioner, ransomware represents one of the most serious threats to your organization today. StopRansomware.com is your comprehensive resource for understanding, preventing, and recovering from ransomware attacks.
Built around the proven frameworks in Learning Ransomware Response & Recovery, this site provides the tools, knowledge, and guidance you need to protect your organization and respond effectively when attacks occur.
Resources
The Book
Get your copy of Learning Ransomware Response & Recovery and master the complete lifecycle of ransomware defense and response.
Ransomware Glossary
A comprehensive glossary of cybersecurity and ransomware terms from our book. It’s your quick reference guide to the language of ransomware defense.
Product Directory
Explore the products and solutions discussed throughout the book, organized by category to help you build your defense strategy.
Coming Soon: Ransomware Academy
We’re building something special—a comprehensive training academy designed to take you from ransomware awareness to expert-level defense and recovery capabilities.
What to Expect:
- Structured Learning Paths – Follow proven curricula in cyber defense, backup recovery, or both
- Hands-on Training – Move beyond theory with practical, scenario-based learning
- Expert Instruction – Learn directly from W. Curtis Preston and Dr. Mike Saylor
- Exclusive Benefits – Access special discounts and offers on the tools you’ll need
- Industry Recognition – Build credentials that demonstrate your ransomware defense expertise
The academy is currently in development. Join our mailing list to be notified when enrollment opens and receive early-access benefits.
Be the first to know when we launch.
About the Authors
W. Curtis Preston
W. Curtis Preston, widely known as Mr. Backup, has dedicated his career to educating organizations on how to protect their data from threats, from user error to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and now the growing wave of cyber threats. Widely recognized as the industry’s leading independent expert in backup and disaster recovery technology and strategies, Preston has spent over 30 years helping hundreds of companies safeguard their critical data, including Amazon.com, Intuit, Standard & Poor’s, Exxon Mobil, and Turner Broadcasting.
Preston’s commitment to education has taken many forms. He is the author of five O’Reilly books on data protection and recovery, and the founder of backupcentral.com, a site dedicated to backup and recovery education for over 20 years, where he still regularly blogs. As the founder and CEO of Truth in IT, he produced hundreds of educational seminars worldwide. He continues to share his expertise as the host of The Backup Wrap-up podcast, where he discusses data protection strategies and interviews industry experts.
Preston has served in technical evangelism and advisory roles at leading data protection companies, including 7 years as chief technical evangelist at Druva, Inc., a data protection-as-a-service company. He has also served as an expert witness in data protection litigation, helping several litigants win their cases. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in information systems from Wilmington University in Delaware.
Now, Preston is bringing that educational mission to the fight against ransomware. He is currently developing the Stop Ransomware Academy, an educational platform that will help organizations prepare for and recover from ransomware attacks.
Dr. Mike Saylor
Dr. Mike Saylor is a seasoned cybersecurity expert with over 30 years of experience
in IT and cybersecurity and over 25 years as a college cybersecurity and digital
forensics professor. Dr. Saylor currently serves as the CEO and incident response lead
at Blackswan Cybersecurity, which he cofounded, and the program director and chair
of Business and Computer Science at Weatherford College. His career spans leader‐
ship roles in various organizations, including as a past CIO at Cornerstone Credit
Union League, CEO and cofounder of Cyber Defense Labs, global IT audit leader for
CitiGroup, director of threat and vulnerability management for Pricewaterhouse, and
information security officer for a global telecom.
A respected figure in the cybersecurity community, Dr. Saylor is a 25-year member
of the FBI’s InfraGard program, where he has held leadership positions, including
president, IT sector chief, and the current healthcare sector chief of the North Texas
InfraGard Chapter. He is also an active volunteer with the North Texas Fusion Center
as a fusion liaison officer and the North Texas Crime Commission’s cybercrime
subcommittee.
Dr. Saylor’s expertise extends across numerous sectors, including education, health‐
care, finance, telecom, and government. He has contributed to the field through
his coauthorship of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions of the book Cyber Crime and
Cyber Terrorism. He has extensive experience in cybercrime investigations, incident
response, and digital forensics. In addition to his professional achievements, he holds
a bachelor’s in information systems, a master’s in criminal justice, and a doctorate
of business administration, computer and information systems security/information
assurance.
Together, Curtis and Mike provide the complete picture: how to prevent ransomware attacks through strong cybersecurity practices, and how to recover quickly and completely when prevention isn’t enough.
Start Your Ransomware Defense Journey Today
Explore our free resources, get the book, and prepare yourself for comprehensive training when the academy launches. The threat is real, but so is your ability to defend against it.