Ransomware. The very name can send shivers down one’s spine. What was once a smaller-scale series of attacks has increasingly become a significant threat. Ransomware might usually target businesses, but it can also target individuals. Attackers are becoming bolder and trying to wreak havoc on a large number of industries, including hospitals, schools, supply chains, transport routes, police stations, and infrastructure. One only needs to look at today’s news to see widespread evidence of ransomware attacks and the damage they cause in their wake to get an overall idea of just how much of a threat they can be. The focus of this article will be understanding and preventing ransomware so you don’t have to deal with its devastating consequences. Let’s dive in.
Understanding The Ransomware Threat
Ransomware is a type of malware that attacks unwitting users’ systems and holds their files for ransom while encrypting their entire system. Often, they demand large amounts of money to release the decryption code. Unfortunately, attackers don’t always release the decryption codes so even if a victim pays the ransom they might still end up with a dead machine full of encrypted and unusable files. Ransomware attacks happen predominantly through phishing emails and drive-by downloads. But there’s another attack vector that may be overlooked and that’s the remote desktop port. A good way to prevent attacks from this method is to close or disable any sort of remote access to your system. That way, no one can access your computer remotely.
Types of Ransomware
Ransomware can come in many forms, but there are essentially four types of ransomware. These are symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption (client and server-side), and hybrid encryption. Symmetric encryption is the most basic as it uses a single key to both encrypt and decrypt files. Back in the early days of ransomware, this was probably one of the more common versions of the attack. However, it was easier to recover from because the key was often stored somewhere within the local system. Asymmetric encryption on the client-side uses a public key to encrypt the day there is any private key to decrypt. Conversely, server-side asymmetric encryption encrypts files when a computer comes online so the attacker’s server ends up creating a key that encrypts the data. To get around the limitations of some of these ransomware types, attackers are increasingly using hybrid methods – which are a combination of these different techniques – to inflict as much damage as possible.
Create Regular Backups
There are a few ways to help prevent ransomware, but recovering from it is much more difficult. But when it comes to taking measures to prevent a ransomware attack—or attenuate the adverse effects of one—creating backups is vital. Backups should be a regular part of your day-to-day business routines. Ensure that your end-user systems are backed up after and make sure you review your storage and retention policies frequently. Use the 3-2-1 rule where you make at least three copies of your backup, stored across two different locations, and store one copy off-site. This last point is vital, as you’ll also want to protect your backups from being infected by removing them to an offsite location and away from your primary systems. Furthermore, you can invest in user access review software to improve your cybersecurity and thus protect your organization’s valuable assets. This type of software offers a system of roles and responsibilities that delegates the user review to managers and supervisors who have better insight into which internal systems their employees should have access to and which ones they shouldn’t.
Keep Everything Updated
The importance of updating your system and keeping all your programs up-to-date cannot be overstated. Updates might take a bit of time, but they’re supposed to patch your system and protect them from hackers who want to exploit vulnerabilities. By mending vulnerable code, they guard your computer against malware. They also improve stability and remove unnecessary features from your programs. Updates don’t take terribly long to complete for the most part, though receiving an update reminder while you’re working can become frustrating at times. Updates, however, are pretty easy to install and can even be set to be performed automatically. So why aren’t you using them? Taking a few minutes to ensure this vital safety measure gets addressed can eventually lead to fewer potential threats, improved system performance, and better overall stability. Remember that many attacks succeed because of security holes, so don’t put yourself in that position if it can be avoided (in most cases, it absolutely can).
Bolster Your Cybersecurity Methods
Protecting and guarding yourself against a ransomware attack is all part of a more comprehensive cybersecurity solution. Guarding against ransomware comes down to a couple of common-sense techniques in addition to implementing standard security procedures. Here’s a quick rundown of some techniques that may help:
- Never pay the ransom
- Use two-factor authentication
- Don’t give out your personal information
- Never click on a suspicious link in an email
- Watch out for suspicious websites
- Install a Firewall and keep it updated
- Regularly scan for malware
- Use an antivirus/anti-malware program with an AI and machine learning component that can intelligently monitor behavior
- Keep everything up to date
- Oh, and did we mention, make backups (we did, but it’s super important)?
- Use a DNS-based content filtering system
While there is no surefire way or foolproof method for preventing a ransomware attack, taking preventative measures can go a long way to potentially keeping you safe from this growing threat.
