The internet is bristling with menace these days, but nothing makes users or IT security professionals more nervous than the prospect of ransomware.
The ransomware ecosystem is far more than just ransomware. It includes DDoS attacks, stolen client information, credit card details, and more, all of which cause victims to suffer devastating financial and reputational losses. This ecosystem also includes affiliates, collaborations, and an integrated ticketing system to manage in-progress ransomware-related services, as well as other novel ways to monetize the initial hacks.
According to the EY Global Information Security Survey 2021, 81% of executives said the pandemic led them to forego cybersecurity procedures. At the same time, 77% of respondents say they have seen an upsurge in the number of disruptive attacks in the last 12 months, up from 59% over the last 12 months.
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Since ransomware is such a widespread threat, it’s critical for businesses to be prepared to combat it. Malicious actors utilize a variety of methods to spread ransomware, including phishing and targeted operations. Organizations can help mitigate the threat and influence of ransomware attacks by implementing the three security recommended practices described below.
Phishing protection
Phishing emails have long been one of the most common ways for malware to spread, and ransomware is no exception. In fact, phishing was named the leading ransomware delivery channel by more than half of managed service providers (MSPs) in 2020.
To deceive end users into installing and executing ransomware, phishing operations may employ a variety of approaches. Ransomware can be hidden inside an attachment or transmitted via a link in an email.
Spam and phishing security software can aid in the prevention of destructive emails reaching end users’ inboxes. To help protect against faked emails, organizations should utilize technologies like Domain Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), Sender Policy Framework (SPF), and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). Using these phishing security best practices can assist to reduce one of the most common ways for ransomware to spread. Finally, firms should conduct security awareness training to educate and train employees on the threats of phishing attacks.
Endpoint device security
Traditional antivirus technologies are not always effective, and they can’t always keep up with evolving threats. Using an endpoint discovery and response (EDR) solution and other technologies, businesses must ensure that endpoint devices are properly protected.
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Advanced attacks can compromise endpoints in minutes or seconds in today’s threat environment. Since manual triage and replies are required, first-generation EDR technologies simply cannot keep up. They are not only too slow for today’s lightning-fast attacks, but they also create a huge number of warnings, which adds to the workload of already overburdened cybersecurity teams. Furthermore, legacy EDR security technologies can increase the expense of security operations and delay network processes and capabilities, both of which can be detrimental to the organization.
Next-generation EDR solutions, on the other hand, provide enhanced, real-time threat information, management, visibility, analysis, and protection for endpoints both before and after they have been infected with ransomware. These EDR solutions can detect and neutralize possible threats in real-time, reducing the attack surface and helping to prevent malware infection, as well as automate response and remediation operations using customizable playbooks.
Block executables
Filtering emails for files with the.exe extension can help prevent some malicious files from being forwarded to employees, but it’s not infallible. Employees might be instructed to rename files in malicious emails, and ransomware is increasingly being distributed as JavaScript files.
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