One of the fastest growing cyber threats is ransomware. Ransomware is malware that installs covertly on a victim's computer, executes a encryption attack, and demands a ransom payment to restore the data. Simple ransomware locks the system and displays a message requesting payment to unlock it. More advanced malware encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. Thus, ransomware is a denial-of-access attack that prevents people from accessing their files without the decryption key. This article will take you through preventative measures, but if you feel like you've already been attacked, we can help you here.
Here are some strategies on how you can protect your network from ransomware:
Train your team members
It is important to educate your employees on the topic of ransomware because attackers often get their foot in the door by tricking employees. The attackers may trick team members to disclose passwords or to click on an infected email attachment.
It’s important to remind employees to be wary of suspicious emails and to never click on links within an email they do not trust. To promote workplace awareness, simulated situations may be reviewed; for example phishing emails could be shown and discussed.
This will help prevent many phishing emails from even reaching your team members.
Firewalls should be set to block access to any harmful IP addresses. Also, anti-virus and anti-malware software should be configured to conduct automatic scans.
Access to accounts by team members can be structured in a hierarchical way. Consider allowing team member to access only files and databases that they need to do their job and restrict further access. You can also configure access controls such as files, directories, and network share permission. For example, if a team member only needs to read files, they do not need permission to edit them.
While it's always crucial to back up your data, in the light of threat from ransomware, it's paramount. Your backups should not be lastingly attached to the system and networks they are backing up.
You also want to test the integrity of the backups. So, test the restoration process to guarantee that it is working properly. Consider conducting an annual penetration and vulnerability test.
If you feel like you've been infected by Ransomware, read our ransomware checklist or check our CryptoStoppers. CryptoStopper.io offers network protection from the inside-out. Download a trial today.