Ransomware attacks have become a prevalent issue in today’s digital landscape. No company, regardless of its size or industry, is safe from these attacks. However, organizations can take steps to prevent themselves from becoming victims by building a strong cybersecurity foundation. Here are six ransomware prevention best practices that can help bolster a company’s defenses:
1. Maintain a defense-in-depth security program: Ransomware is a type of malware, and most ransomware outbreaks use well-known variants that can be easily detected by active antimalware controls. By implementing strong antimalware tools and combining them with other technologies and processes such as the principle of least privilege, multifactor authentication, VPNs, zero-trust network access, and protecting ports from exploitation, organizations can create a robust defense-in-depth security program.
2. Consider advanced protection technologies: While basic antimalware defenses can catch most ransomware attacks, there is always a risk that attackers will employ novel attacks that can bypass these defenses. To detect these zero-day attacks, organizations should consider using advanced technologies and strategies.
3. Educate employees about the risks of social engineering: Ransomware often enters an organization through the inadvertent actions of employees, such as falling victim to a phishing attack. To mitigate this risk, organizations should conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training for all employees, partners, and stakeholders. The training should focus on foundational best practices and educate employees about new types of phishing attacks. Providing employees with guidelines such as using strong passwords, verifying email senders, only opening links and attachments from known senders, and refraining from opening suspicious emails can significantly reduce the risk of ransomware attacks. Additionally, employees should be aware of what to do in the event of a ransomware attack and should be trained to notify management immediately.
4. Patch regularly: Regularly installing patches for software and system vulnerabilities is crucial in preventing ransomware attacks. Many attacks exploit known vulnerabilities that could have been prevented if organizations had installed available patches. By following a patch management program and best practices, organizations can ensure that vulnerabilities are patched quickly and efficiently.
5. Frequently back up critical data: Backing up critical data is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the impact of a ransomware attack. If an organization’s data is encrypted by ransomware, having backups enables the restoration of access without paying a ransom. It is essential to store backups where they cannot be accessed from the network and to disconnect or put them on an external device to protect them from ransomware attacks. However, it’s important to note that restoring from backup only brings the organization back to a point in time where the same vulnerability still exists. Therefore, the ransomware recovery process should include identifying and remedying the root cause of the incident.
6. Don’t depend solely on backups: Ransomware attacks are evolving, and attackers are increasingly employing tactics like double extortion and triple extortion. In these attacks, even if a company restores its data from backup, the attacker can still threaten to leak the data or launch additional attacks unless a ransom is paid. Therefore, while backups are crucial, they should not be the sole reliance for ransomware prevention. A comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy is necessary to combat the evolving nature of ransomware attacks.
By implementing these ransomware prevention best practices, organizations can significantly reduce their vulnerability to ransomware attacks. While these security controls may seem like common sense, it is important to emphasize their critical importance in light of the millions of successful attacks that have occurred in the past year. Building a strong cybersecurity foundation is the key to protecting sensitive data and ensuring business continuity in the face of ever-evolving ransomware threats.