When you think about different types of cyber attacks, ransomware might not be the first thing to come to your mind. It’s the sort of thing you might expect to see in a movie, but not in real life. The truth is, however, that ransomware is an increasingly common form of cyber attack. Government agencies, for example, are now a prime target for ransomware. However, it’s not just governments that should be worrying. According to one report, ransomware attacks against businesses rose by a whooping 263% in 2019. Business everywhere should therefore ensure they take precautions to prevent a ransomware attack and also have a plan in place if one does happen. To help, here is a list of 5 ransomware tips that all businesses should consider.
Ransomware Tip #1: Back It Up
Perhaps the most crucial way to protect yourself against ransomware is to have a robust and regular backup system in place. Any data that is sensitive or essential to business operations should be backed up on a regular basis. However, you have to be smart about it. Make sure your backups are stored offline or somewhere separate from your other networks. If a hacker gains access to your systems, you want to ensure they won’t be able to reach your backups. You should also regularly test your backups to ensure there is no corruption in the data. That way, if an attack occurs and they encrypt your data, you can be sure you have a backup to avoid paying the ransom.
Ransomware Tip #2: Use Security Awareness Training
Ransomware attackers often gain access to systems by first conducting phishing attacks or other forms of social engineering exploits. The key to the attackers success are employees who are not sufficiently trained in detecting emails that contain malicious links. This is just one of the many reasons more businesses should invest in security awareness training programs. For many forms of cyber attacks, your employees are your first line of defense, so making sure they have the tools needed to spot phishing attacks is a must.
Ransomware Tip #3: Stay Up to Date
Operating systems and software are constantly being updated to patch any known security vulnerabilities, but it can be easy to miss an update or put it off for another day. The problem is that attackers are constantly looking for these vulnerabilities and will prey on anyone who hasn’t updated their systems. Updating software, operating systems, and applications should therefore be a priority. In many cases, you are able to set up your systems to update automatically when a new patch is released.
Ransomware Tip #4: Segment and Limit Access
If an attacker gets into your system, you want to ensure they can’t access everything. It’s therefore important to segment your networks. This essentially just means keeping different elements of your network separate from each other so you can control how information flows from one to the others. This also involves implementing access controls so that users on your network are only able to access what they need for their job. These controls should be regularly evaluated. That way, if an attacker steals one of your user’s credentials, they won’t be able to access your entire network.
Ransomware Tip #5: Plan Your Response
Lastly, when it comes to ransomware, it’s important to not just try and prevent an attack, but also have have a plan in place in case one actually happens. Ransomware response should be included in every organization’s overall incident response plan, and you should have a team dedicated to carrying out the plan if an attack happens. Every organization’s response to a ransomware attack will be different, so response teams should sit down with members of the organization at various levels to ensure everyone is on the same page.