How to Protect Your Data from Ransomware

It’s hard to ignore ransomware attacks nowadays. Ransomware gangs use malicious software to blackmail hospitals, small businesses, charities, pipelines, police stations and even airlines. But what is ransomware?

In short, ransomware is a type of malware that locks the data on your computer. It may rename files to .crypted or .cryptor or remove extensions altogether so that you can’t access them. It usually displays a splash screen on your monitor telling you that your device is locked. At the end of the message is often a demand for money to decrypt the locked files, followed by a payment link. Invariably, the payment demand is in bitcoin.

Cybercriminals prefer bitcoin because cryptocurrency is more challenging to trace than traditional mediums like checks or pay orders. Though the FBI has shown that it can even recover bitcoin after a ransomware attack, the chances of recovery are slim.

To force you into action, a ransomware gang will set a time limit for the payment. They may demand that you send money in 48 hours or risk losing your data forever. Some small businesses have found success in negotiating payment down to a more manageable sum.

However, certain cybercriminals employ layered attacks and only decrypt half the files after payment in order to extort more money. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t recover after a ransomware attack. To avoid the stress of losing your data due to a ransomware attack, you must take immediate steps to protect your information:

Pay Attention to Social Engineering Attacks

The best way to protect your data is to avoid ransomware infections altogether. To do this, you must try to identify social engineering attacks. Ransomware gangs send manipulative phishing emails and text messages that carry malware designed to hit your organization with ransomware.

Such emails may play with your emotions like fear or anxiety to deceive you into installing malware. Alternatively, they may trick you into visiting malicious websites or clicking malicious links that carry ransomware payloads.

Protect your Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

RDP is an excellent way for remote workers or IT specialists to use office computers. However, ransomware attacks can exploit weaknesses in RDP software to drop ransomware through a backdoor approach. Some experts say that RDP attacks are the primary ransomware threat vector.

Enhance RDP brute force attack protection with top security tools, solid and sophisticated passwords, IP address blocking, and two-factor authentication. In addition, take advantage of security patches to fix vulnerabilities in your software.

React Quickly

It’s critical to recognize the symptoms of a ransomware attack to react quickly. Start by disconnecting your computers from the Internet to cut off communication between the ransomware and its author. Next, determine what computers and devices are hit by ransomware and immediately isolate them from others.

Run anti-ransomware software on the infected computers. Please remember that your basic antivirus software may not stop ransomware. You can find proactive and free ransomware removal software that uses machine learning to dissect a potential threat’s overall structure, programming logic, and data to look for red flags.

The attackers behind a ransomware attack may also drop other malware like spyware or Trojans on your systems. They may use spyware to monitor how you react to the attack or Trojans to steal financial data. Use the best anti-malware software to scan your systems for any malicious software after a ransomware attack.

Backup Data Regularly

Backing data up is essential in the age of ransomware. Remember, even after you pay a ransom, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the decryption key. In fact, many ransomware gangs just disappear after collecting payment. Regardless, it’s sometimes more cost-effective to restore files from your backups than to pay a ransom.

Your backups should be frequent, comprehensive, and reliable. It would be best if you also had separate backups for critical data.

Please also consider revising your backup retention policy. Remember, a prolific ransomware attack can corrupt all your primary data going back several years, if not decades.

Double Down on Backups

While most ransomware strains don’t go out of their way to target backups, some strains like Ryuk and SamSam can aim for backups too. For example, Ryuk deletes shadow volumes and Windows backup files to prevent you from restoring your operating system. An excellent way to counter this is to use third-party software outside the default Windows configuration to create extra backups.

Protect the Backups

Protect your backups with anti-malware software. Additionally, isolate them from your central systems to stop ransomware from reaching them. Also, take air-gapping seriously. The less accessible your backups are, the less likely it is that ransomware will corrupt your insurance policy. Finally, you should also avoid using the same authentication system for your backups as your primary systems.

With ransomware attacks disrupting computers globally, you need to develop a sound strategy. Consult with a top cybersecurity team today to secure your organization’s future.