Ransomware attacks – the most serious cybersecurity threat in the past few years. Today, businesses and individuals are facing the risk of data loss, financial losses, and damage to their reputation. However, there are some ransomware preventive measures.
Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a victim’s files or network, making them inaccessible. The attacker then requests payment for the key to decrypt the files. Ransomware can be categorized into several types:
Locker Ransomware. This is type of ransomware that locks users out of their devices entirely.
Crypto Ransomware–Encrypts and then demands ransom for decryption.
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) – A business model where cybercriminals provide affiliates with ransomware tools and receive a percentage of the ransom.
Best Practices to Prevent Ransomware Attacks
Get Security Software and Keep It Updated
Having security software is important for preventing ransomware. The software works by continuously monitoring files that are coming into your computer from the internet. If it detects a malicious file, it will prevent the file from being executed on your computer. Security software utilises known threat profiles and malicious file types to detect potential dangers to the computer. These are updated all the time, so it is important to keep your security software up to date to keep up.
Use Strong and Unique Passwords because weak passwords make it easy for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access. Apply unique, strong passwords for each of your accounts and enable the multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an extra security layer.
Implement Email and Web Filtering
Phishing emails is one of the common entry point of ransomware. Use of email security solution to filter out malicious attachment and links. And teach employees and users to recognise and avoid suspicious email and website.
One common method that hackers use to spread malware through email is by embedding it in attachments or files within the body of the email. These files may appear to be harmless images or documents, but when clicked, they can install malware such as ransomware on your device. By regularly scanning email communications for these types of files, you can greatly reduce the risk of your device or network becoming infected.
Backup Your Data Regularly
Ensure you maintain secure and up-to-date backups of critical files. Store backups in a separate location, such as an external hard drive or a cloud-based service, and ensure they are not directly accessible from your main network.
Ransomware attackers often target organisations that rely heavily on specific data for their operations. This is because they hope victims may feel compelled to pay the ransom to regain access to data essential for their daily operations. One way to mitigate this risk is by regularly backing up important data.
Watch Your Clicks
When browsing the web, it’s important to be cautious about clicking on links from unknown sources. If a link seems suspicious, such as in a spam email or on a questionable website, it’s best to avoid it. This is because hackers often use malicious links to spread malware, including ransomware.
Use Firewalls
Firewalls can be an effective solution in protecting against ransomware attacks. By analysing incoming and outgoing network traffic, a firewall can detect and block malware and other potential threats.
Use VPNs When Out and About
Public Wi-Fi networks are easy to access, so hackers can use them to spread malware like ransomware. To protect yourself, it’s important to use a company virtual private network (VPN) when connecting to public Wi-Fi and make it available to your people if they’re ever accessing your network from a public hotspot.
Work With an Experienced Managed IT Company
The best protection you can have against attacks that are constantly evolving is to work with an IT company that keeps up with the latest security threats in cyberspace. This is their bread and butter: they keep up with all the latest malicious software, so you don’t have to.
Absolute Technology have an excellent cyber essentials package that will help your business with any Ransomware attacks.
