Is your computer safe from attacks by ransomware? A type of malware that criminals use to extort money is ransomware. It retains information through encryption or through locking users out of their computers for ransom.
By 2019, 188 million ransomware attacks have been launched. Ransomware has been growing in popularity and causing enormous harm, although there is a plethora of malware. Companies are parting with a lot of money to access their info, and those who are unable to pay the ransom are forced to stop their operations; hurting their bottom line, therefore.
It will ensure its survival, protect its integrity, and protect your business finances by knowing what ransomware is and taking the appropriate measures to stop it from attacking your company. Here are some tips to help you safeguard your network against a ransomware attack.
What’s a Ransomware Program?
Ransomware is a complex piece of malware that prevents the access of the victim to his or her files, and paying a ransom is the only way to regain access to the files.
Two forms of ransomware are in circulation:
1. Encrypting ransomware, which uses sophisticated algorithms for encryption. To provide the victim with the key that can decrypt the blocked content, it is designed to block device files and demand payment. CryptoLocker, Locky, CrytpoWall, and more are examples.
2. Locker ransomware, which locks the user out of the operating system so that the desktop and any applications or files can not be accessed. In this instance, the files are not encrypted, but the attackers are still asking for a ransom to decrypt the infected device. The police-themed ransomware or Winlocker are examples.
Some versions of the locker can infect the Master Boot Record also (MBR). The MBR is the portion of the hard drive of a PC that causes the operating system to start up. The boot process can not be completed as usual when MBR ransomware hits and prompts a ransom note to be shown on the computer.
Examples include the families of Satana and Petya. Crypto-ransomware is the most popular, and also the subject of this article, as encryptors are generally known. The cybersecurity community believes that this (and has been so for the past few years) is the most prominent and worrisome cyber threat of the moment.
1. Encryption Using
File encryption is one of most businesses’ most used techniques to prevent cyber-criminals from being extorted. Hackers keep confidential ransom data, and you need to give them money to get it. During communication between users, most cyber-criminals gain access to this data.
Encrypting information would make the information worthless to hackers because during a man-in-the-middle assault they will not be able to decrypt it. Encryption also makes knowledge and attacks impossible for malware to detect. Encryption can give you control over your protection and also block the control of your data by malicious users.
2. Using VPN
Each week, 70 percent of the people in the world operate remotely. This means they operate every week on public WiFi. This reality is leveraged by cyber-criminals to strike. Public WiFi offers an arena for snooping, and the chances are high that compromised PCs are full of the shared network. This puts the network at risk, which is why it is recommended to have a VPN.
It can’t function to fend off ransomware entirely when on its own, but it allows you to surf via secure servers. It also offers encryption, which gives you privacy from snoopers who might be inside the network.
3. Keep yourself ready
By remaining prepared, one of the safest ways to protect your device or network from malware is. You may have all the solutions in place, but you may lack anything that will act as a ransomware entry point. In the event of a successful attack, it is critical to have a plan in place. Have software to encrypt your endpoints so that it does not do too much harm if ransomware manages to go through. It is also important to have ransomware removal tools in place to prevent attacks from causing irreversible harm.
4. Have a Schedule for Recuperation
Knowing the intent of a ransomware attack can go a long way to help you define what the best strategy for recovery is. Attackers aim to deny you access to your details in a way that makes it easy to extort and strand you. If you have a backup, then your organization won’t suffer much from a ransomware attack.
Thus, providing a data backup and repair plan will be the safest recovery. The best solution is to have three copies of data; two of the copies should be oblivious to the medium and stored on-site, while the other copy should be stored offsite. In the event of an attack, as your activities will continue with the additional data you have, you would be difficult to extort.
5. Do not open Spam Emails
Most of the ransomware attacks are started by phishing emails. Thus, you should be vigilant about opening emails. It is best to open only emails from trustworthy sources and avoid suspicious attachments. When sending phishing emails, most hackers target employees, and it is important to develop an awareness of this and train your employees to decipher emails that are not from trustworthy sources.
Email sandboxing is also an excellent technique for stopping the device from being accessed by ransomware. A virtual environment that filters emails is an email sandbox, only allowing the virus-free ones to enter your inbox. You can be assured that malicious attachments do not get anywhere close to your inbox by sandboxing.
6. Ensure the upgrading of your applications and operating systems
It’ll keep viruses, like ransomware, away by keeping all the systems installed. There are bugs in obsolete operating systems and programs that hackers take advantage of to get into your device. Security fixes that can secure your network or device from hackers come with software updates. Look out for and act on software update notifications; you’re going to defend yourself from future attacks.
7. Using Desktop Antivirus
An extra layer of protection will be added by downloading antivirus software. You are going to have a foolproof ransomware protection plan along with the other techniques. The job of antivirus software is to supervise any file that enters your PC and make sure it is free of any viruses.
An antivirus scans files that enter your system, detects ransomware, and alerts you if anything is harmful. To guarantee that it is accurate, antivirus software should also be modified like other software.
It exposes you to the possibility of ransomware attacks by using USB from untrusted sources and sharing removable devices. Viruses can be transferred using portable devices from one machine to another, and with the USB you use, you should be careful. Before access to your files is allowed, having an antivirus can help search the USB for any viruses.
Without paying the ransom, how to get your data back.
There are hundreds of ransomware forms out there, but researchers in cybersecurity are working around the clock to crack the encryption that is used by at least some of them. The most infamous families, unfortunately, have proved to be unbreakable so far.
There are also other cryptoware strains, despite this, that are not so well coded and that specialists have been able to crack. We have put together a wide list of ransomware decryption tools that you can use to help you find a way to restore your data without extra funding for ransomware developers.
We suggest that you read about how these instruments operate in advance so that you are confident that this is the right option for your case. Bear in mind that, because of continuous updates and new, improved versions released by cyber-criminals, decrypts could become obsolete. It is a never-ending fight, which is why we advise you to concentrate on preventing your data and making multiple backups.
Conclusion
Do not give in to extortion if you are a victim of a ransomware attack. There is no guarantee, even though you pay, that the attackers will allow you to access your files.
Moreover, you can support their actions and finance their malice as well. As they may be tainted, stop uploading files from untrusted sources. Every day, new ransomware is rolled out, and companies need to remain vigilant about protecting their data. It would go a long way to ensure that these attacks do not take the company down by installing antivirus software, doing daily software upgrades, and providing a data backup and recovery plan.