Os invasores de ransomware estão se tornando mais ousados – e mais bem-sucedidos

Ransomware attackers are becoming bolder – and more successful

In recent years, the number of malicious emails has increased, the number of companies affected has increased, and the average ransom rate has skyrocketed.

Imagem em destaque

The problem of ransomware – one of the most common malware threats today – is serious and only getting worse. In recent years, the number of malicious emails has increased, the number of companies affected has increased, and the average ransom rate has skyrocketed. Even when companies are able to recover their data, sometimes they can't recover everything and often face other issues, such as significant downtime after an attack.

To make matters worse, attackers are creating new ways to cause problems. As if encrypting your data wasn't bad enough, the bad guys are now threatening to release your data to the public or have business partners pressure you into paying, and promise to go after company executives' personal data if they don't. paid out.

This state of affairs can make you feel scared and helpless. But there are steps you can take to fight these unscrupulous criminals. One thing to remember is that a ransomware attack requires someone at your company to click on the wrong link. This means there is only so much you can do in terms of education, so this is much less likely to happen. Here we look at what ransomware attackers are up to and how you can protect your organization's valuable data.

All companies are susceptible

Any company can fall victim to a ransomware attack. However, according to Norton the following four groups are of particular interest to attackers:

  • Groups that are perceived to have smaller security teams
  • Organizations that can and will pay quickly
  • Companies that hold confidential data
  • Business in Western Markets

The following news shows another type of business that could be the main target: critical infrastructure:

New tricks

As mentioned above, ransomware attackers have expanded the problems they can cause far beyond just encrypting your data until you pay a ransom. According to TechRepublic here are some of its latest tricks:

Promising to publicly disclose the data. Criminals threaten not only to continue blocking you from accessing your data, but also to publish or auction it if you don't pay the ransom. This means that if you decide not to pay and rely on data backups, you could still be harmed by the possibility of others viewing sensitive information, such as customer information or proprietary processes.

Contacting employees directly. Attackers can contact staff members and tell them that their personal data will be leaked if the ransom is not paid. They will often target C-level leaders who have a say in whether or not the ransom is paid.

Contact with partners and customers. Attackers will contact affected parties and inform them that their own information could be compromised if their company's data is published. As a result, these organizations may feel it is in their best interest to pressure you into paying the ransom.

Enlisting people from within. Ransomware attackers may convince your company's employees to help them infiltrate the company to carry out a ransomware attack. They promise these people a portion of the ransom payment in return.

Preventing backup recovery. Bad guys can delete your backups or change your network passwords to prevent you from accessing them.

To pay or not to pay?

If your business falls victim to a ransomware attack, will you pay the ransom? You may have an immediate answer one way or another, but there really is no simple answer. If you think the requested ransom is a small price to pay for your precious data, consider these facts from Gartner :

  • On average, only 65% ​​of data is recovered and only 8% of organizations are able to recover all of their data.
  • Encrypted files are generally unrecoverable.
  • Data recovery can take several weeks, especially if a large portion of the data has been encrypted.
  • There is no guarantee that hackers will not copy stolen data. They could sell or disclose the information later if it has value.

On the other hand, if you think there's no way you can pay the criminals for what was yours to begin with, ask yourself what the repercussions would be if you weren't able to recover your information:

  • How much time, money and customer trust will you lose?
  • How much can you lose and still stay in business?
  • Do you have enough staff available to resolve this considerable issue and continue to run your business?
  • What is the worst-case scenario in terms of still being able to compete in your market if trade secrets or other data are leaked?

How to fight back

While it may seem like ransomware attackers hold all the cards in these situations, you and your team have some control. Here are steps you can take to combat the possibility of a ransomware attack.

  • Train your team. There are some simple rules that everyone should follow to avoid launching ransomware on your company's network. Train your team on the warning signs to look for and provide opportunities for them to practice their skills.
  • Adopt a “see something, say something” approach. Make sure employees have someone to contact 24/7 if they see anything suspicious.
  • Implement a Zero Trust system. The sad truth is that anyone can be an attacker, even people at your company. A Zero Trust system forces all users to prove their identity and alert the system about their activities whenever they enter the network.
  • Learn the early warning signs. Monitor your network for signs that you are about to be attacked so you can prevent it from happening.
  • Back up your data. As we've seen, ransomware attackers have ways of preventing you from accessing even your backups. So make sure you have at least 2 backup methods and at least one of them is offline.
  • Know what you will do in the case. No company can be 100% safe from the potential of a ransomware attack, so it's smart to come up with a plan for what you will do if you fall victim to one.

There are many other steps you can take that are beyond the scope of this post. Take time to research other measures and choose the ones that will work best for your company and your employees. Doing so can save you from the disastrous consequences that ransomware attacks can cause.

Source: BairesDev

Conteúdo relacionado

Back to the blog

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before publishing.