Chief Information Security Officers and cybersecurity experts continue to be terrified by the possibility of ransomware and for good reason. The estimated cost of ransomware recovery is $2 million, not including the disruption that ransomware attacks bring to crucial IT operations and services.
Ransomware, a type of malware, is increasingly targeting businesses. Cybercriminals employ ransomware to lock down your computer or mobile device, steal your data, and demand a “ransom” often between a few hundred and thousands of dollars be paid. Ransomware compromises corporate networks, servers, and individual laptops or PCs, causing the loss of important data and information.
Protection should be preferable to treatment, particularly when the latter entails a ransom demand that may financially devastate your company. The top 5 Ways to defend your business against ransomware attacks and improve the chances of recovery are listed below.
Regular Updating and Monitoring
Monitoring the external digital threat surface, which includes all potential points of entry into your network, is essential. This involves aspects like IP addresses, ports, configurations, and software. You should be able to keep an eye on what’s going on inside the network since ransomware attacks can still be identified and handled if your first line of defense is effective.
Effective and rapid updating ensures that any vulnerabilities are repaired as soon as they are found, preventing threat actors from exploiting them. All apps you employ, both internal and external, as well as the operating systems on endpoint workstations and the hardware on devices connected to your network, should all be updated.
Educate your Staff
In the majority of firms, there are still significant education gaps in cybersecurity. The people that use ransomware are aware of this weakness. Businesses require more planned, better cybersecurity education that is tailored to the way people learn if they are to begin closing these education gaps. With an emphasis on engagement, relevance, and repetition, a fully managed training platform can make it simpler to instruct staff.
User Account Management
A key cause of initial network access is compromised credentials, which frequently come from the mentioned cybersecurity knowledge deficiencies. However, inadequate user account management might make matters worse if hackers manage to get inside.
When user accounts are not managed properly, users frequently have access to privileges that are well above what is necessary for them to perform their tasks. As a result, hackers now find it all too simple to misuse their power and migrate laterally to spread ransomware across numerous systems.
Network Segmentation
Network segmentation aims to reduce traffic between various zones by dividing your IT network into smaller sub-networks. Network segmentation limits the attack surface that threat actors can use while limiting lateral mobility inside and between zones. Effective segmentation stops hostile actors from entering other network zones even if they manage to get over your perimeter, thereby protecting your endpoints from encryption.
Dedicated DNS
By banning dangerous domains that might be used to distribute malware and detecting assaults in progress, dedicated DNS security aids in the prevention of ransomware. Effective protection monitors DNS activity and prevents this routing, which is frequently used by hackers during the more advanced stages of a ransomware assault to communicate between your system and their control servers.
Conclusion
Businesses of all sizes face a significant danger from ransomware, which is not going away anytime soon. Cyber-aware staff who are prepared to spot phishing and other threat actors’ activities are the foundation of ransomware protection.
However, the procedures and materials required to undertake a comprehensive training program frequently lead to poor instruction, leaving staff members ignorant of the information they have to know.
CTS can assist you with incorporating or enhancing your cybersecurity staff training and overall protection from cyberattacks. Please reach out to us if you would like to discuss this more in detail by contacting our President, Frank Stephens, at [email protected], or our Service Delivery Manager, Simon Jakubzcak, at [email protected].