Ransomware attacks are among the most damaging cyber threats today. These attacks involve hackers encrypting data and demanding payment for its release, leading to severe financial, reputational, and operational impacts.
🛡️To effectively defend against ransomware, companies need a multi-layered security strategy.
Here are some tips to protect you:
1. Strengthening Cyber Defences
Ransomware often exploits system vulnerabilities, making it essential to implement a robust, up-to-date security framework.
🔹Patch Management: Ensure all operating systems and applications are regularly updated.
Automating this process helps minimise human error and reduces exposure.
🔹Email Filtering: Phishing remains a common method for ransomware attacks.
Advanced email filters can block malicious attachments/ links before they reach employees.
🔹Network Segmentation: Dividing your network into isolated sections or VLANs helps contain ransomware attacks by preventing propagation.
🔹Securing Remote Access: Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and other services often serve as entry points for attackers.
Disable unnecessary services.
🔹Social Media Policy: Instate guidelines on the use of social media in the workplace. Avoid risky behaviours, such as clicking on suspicious links or downloading unverified files.
🔹Avoid Free Wi-Fi Hotspots: Don't use them without a VPN. Beware of #EvilTwin Wi-Fi hotspots, which can pose severe security risks.
2. Controlling Access and Permissions
Restricting user permissions and admin rights significantly limit the spread of ransomware.
🔹Least Privilege Model: Regularly check and enforce access permissions on files/folders. Ensure users only have restricted access.
Ransomware only affects what it has access to, so stringent permissions help contain potential damage.
🔹Monitoring for Fake Admins: It’s crucial to identify and remove unnecessary administrative accounts, or “fake admins”, that may have been created by accident or through misconfiguration or acquired through concatenation of privileges. These accounts often have the same privileges as legitimate admins (e.g. Full Control on sensitive or business critical files and folders) and can be exploited by attackers.
🔹Cleaning up the old/duplicate/abandoned files in the storage as it contains not only a wealth of information but also potential access rights that allow access into current business information areas.
🔹Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Strengthen access controls with MFA, which requires users to verify their identity through multiple methods. This makes it harder for attackers to access systems, even if they’ve stolen login credentials.
Ransomware attacks are not going away anytime soon.
By adopting a multi-layered defence strategy, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness, businesses can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to ransomware.
