It is estimated that businesses around the world will face a ransomware attack every 11 seconds and that the costs of ransomware in 2021 exceeded 20 billion dollars.
With these types of attacks being so prevalent, it is no surprise that many businesses need to find a way to recover. Recovery will not always be easy but with the help of experts you will be able to return to normal.
In this article, you will learn the signs to recognise a ransomware attack, how to recover from a ransomware attack, and viable strategies to prevent attacks in the future.
In order to spot a ransomware attack, employees need to be vigilant and educated in how to recognise some of the signs. With the number of attacks doubling in 2021, it is only a matter of time until your business is on the end of one, so remain vigilant of the following indicators:
When devices slow down or are slow to process, it can often be a sign of too many users taking up the bandwidth. However, on closer inspection of your network, you may come to realise that there is no reason for the reduction in speed. Ransomware works by scanning networks for file locations, this scanning process results in slowing down the whole network.
Sudden changes to files or folders can indicate a sign of ransomware. Files that do not include common extensions such as: .pdf, .doc or .docx and .jpeg may be a sign of a cyber attack. Keep an eye on your change management programme, to track any changes and find ones that look suspicious.
If you begin to notice a number of files are going missing over a period of time, this is an indicator that a ransomware attack is underway. Ransomware looks to move about undetected for as long as possible, but may take a small number of files to begin with to test its access and a company’s vigilance. Once successful, it will begin to move onto bigger targets.
The most obvious sign of a ransomware attack is also the most dangerous. It is the splash screen message that comes up discussing the existence of malware on a computer. This sign is the most dangerous as it will appear once the attack has been successful, and is asking for a fee to return any encrypted data. This sign is not one to be recognised, but one that’s likelihood needs to be reduced in order to be successful against this form of a cyber attack.
If your organisation has been hit by a ransomware attack there are steps you can take to improve your chances of recovery. These steps act as a guideline to follow that will lead to the best possible outcome.
You should never look to pay the ransom if you have backups of your data stored elsewhere. If you do not have these back ups then you need to evaluate whether the cost is really worth it. There are a few important reasons why you shouldn’t pay:
The sooner the attack is reported, the sooner authorities can begin to identify the attacker, how they are choosing their targets, and help prevent others from falling victim to the same type of attack.
It is best to report the attack to the police, who will hand the investigation over to their cyber crimes department to follow up.
In the UK you can also report the attack to the organisation Action Fraud.
Once an attack has been found, it is important to notify all staff so they can remain on the lookout for further attacks or report any that might have already taken place. The second step is to ensure that all members of staff are educated on what phishing is and how it can be identified. This will enable you to better prevent future attacks.
Disaster recovery plans for your business should include what to do should a cyber attack take place. The effectiveness of a disaster recovery plan will depend on how in-depth it is, whether it accounts for all types of disasters, and the speed in which it can be enacted once a disaster takes place.
We highly recommend that any impacted areas such as: systems, folders, files etc, are isolated from the rest of the business network as soon as possible, to stop further spread of the malware. This will keep the impact to a minimum, and help isolate the source of the attack, which will help authorities do their job when investigating the attackers.
By having your business’s data regularly backed up it allows you to restore any lost data from a cyber attack easily and quickly. With regular backups you will be able to choose a date before the attack has taken place, ensuring that the restored data is malware free. Without regular backups, data recovery will take longer and some newer data may even be lost if backups are not regularly undertaken.
Here is a list of the best practices your business can take in order to prevent any future cyber attack.
By educating your members or staff to identify and avoid ransomware you will be taking the biggest step in preventing an attack. Show them how to identify phishing emails and test them regularly and without warning to ensure they are sufficiently educated.
The 3-2-1 backup method includes all of the following: have 3 different backup versions, store the backups in 2 different locations with at least 1 of the locations being completely offsite.
Make sure that all systems and software are as up to date as possible with the latest patches.
Have an intrusion detection system installed on your business’s network
Set up email filters that can help identify and detect harmful or potentially harmful emails. Set them up to recognise any potentially malicious attachments or links
Set up blockers for any unauthorised programs to stop them running and whitelist all permitted apps.
Make sure that users only have the rights and permissions to access areas they need to on the network.
If your business has ever been under attack from ransomware there are steps to take that can help your business recover. Your main objective should be to prevent any attack before it takes place but with the above guidelines you should be able to steer your company through the storm as long as you follow each one.
Without the right strategy in place, a successful ransomware attack can seriously impact your business. By working with cybersecurity experts such as ourselves, you can begin to protect your business, educate your employees and keep your data secure. Get in touch with our team to work on your cybersecurity strategy and overcome any challenges you might have. Call us on 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
Businesses run the risk of being attacked by cyber criminals every day, and must ensure that their cybersecurity can stand up to all types of direct and indirect attacks.
If your business is not sufficiently protected or has previously given in to a cyber criminals demands, you might find yourself under repeat attacks, especially if your systems have not been suitably cleaned and repaired.
In this article, we will go over what is ransomware, the different types of ransomware attacks you might face, how ransomware works, the cost of ransomware to your business and proven strategies to defend your business against any attack you might face.
In simple terms, ransomware is a type of malicious software, often referred to as malware, that will threaten to block access or publish sensitive data your business might have. This is done by encrypting the date or system until a ransom is paid to the attacker within a certain deadline.
The main aim of ransomware is to extort funds from companies by blocking important data behind encryption keys.
Cyber criminals will look to extort companies over private citizens as a business is much more likely to pay the ransom. It has been found that businesses that do pay the fees that come with ransomware, are then much more likely to be targeted in the future.
Ransomware attacks date back to 1989 with what was known as the ‘AIDs virus’. In 1996 ransomware was further developed and introduced at the IEEE Security and Privacy conference. The virus shown at the conference contained the attacker’s public key and encrypted the victim’s files. The malware then prompts the victim to send payment to the attacker to decipher and return the decryption key.
In essence, a ransomware attack is any sort of malware that is used to encrypt data such as files, applications, systems and databases, so they can no longer be accessed without paying for a decryption key within a certain period of time.
In many cases when the ransom is not met then the data will be released or the ransom will be increased.
Ransomware can work in one of two different ways. The first way is by encrypting data that makes it no longer accessible. With the data out of reach, the business will then be contacted with the requested ransom, with the promise that once payment is made, they will provide a decryption key so the business can gain back the data that is hidden.
There is no guarantee that the decryption key provided will actually work, and can lead to further ransoming for the data or lead to more attacks.
The second way ransomware can work is by blocking access to the system with a lock screen. This lock screen will contain the details of the ransom. Again once the fee is paid there is no guarantee that the block will be removed.
Ransomware will often start in malicious emails and will begin to infect a system or database once an unsuspecting user opens an attachment or clicks on a url that has been compromised with the malware. After which the ransomware agent is installed and will begin to encrypt key files. Once the encryption is complete, you will begin to see the message explaining what has happened and the demands to unlock the data.
Malware encompasses any sort of programme that has been designed to gain access to computer systems without the users permission. Malware covers a range of programmes from viruses, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware and any other malicious programs you can think of.
A virus is a piece of code that attaches itself to another program, which can either be harmless or can modify and delete data. When a programme runs with a virus attached, it will begin to perform an action such as deleting a file. Viruses cannot be controlled remotely like other pieces of malware.
So what is the difference between a virus and ransomware? The first difference is in how they operate. Viruses will attach to another programme and wait to be activated by running that programme. Ransomware will look to encrypt data or block access until a fee is paid.
Ransomware is much more harmful than a virus. Ransomware can only be removed by its creator through payment of the requested fee. Many viruses are blocked by antivirus software.
They also differ in their main objectives. Viruses only look to modify or delete information. Ransomware looks to take money from businesses by gaining access to their systems, and blocking that access from the business.
The two types of malware also differ in how they gain access. The main difference between phishing and ransomware is that ransomware generally gains access through phishing emails that have malicious attachments or links. Viruses come in as part of executable files.
As previously stated, ransomware can be extremely harmful to your business. It has been estimated that the cost of ransomware attacks on businesses will exceed $20 billion dollars by the end of 2022, with the average cost of ransomware having doubled in 2022.
These are shocking statistics that really put this issue into context.
For 2022, ransomware has been identified as a major threat to businesses. Many cybersecurity firms have predicted that a business will face a ransomware attack every 11 seconds. At this rate, it is further estimated that by the year 2031 Ransomware will reach a cost of $265 billion dollars.
All of these estimated costs are not just limited to the number of payments made, but what it will cost companies to mitigate damage and restore data after an attack. This issue should be of the utmost importance when budgeting and planning strategies for cybersecurity.
91% of cyber attacks begin with a phishing email, the delivery method for ransomware.
One of the best strategies to combat and prevent ransomware is by training all staff on how to recognise a phishing email, and then conduct regular unannounced tests to see its effectiveness and who may require further training.
Another effective strategy is to implement ransomware prevention best practices. These best practices can include all of the following:
Ransomware is an extremely dangerous threat to any business. Blocking and encrypting your company’s data can be extremely harmful in many ways, and paying the requested ransom fee does not guarantee that you will gain back access to that data.
In 2021, ransomware cost businesses an estimated 20 billion dollars, with an attack taking place every 11 seconds.
Without the right strategy in place, a successful ransomware attack can seriously impact your business. By working with cybersecurity experts such as ourselves, you can begin to protect your business, educate your employees and keep your data secure.
Get in touch with our team to work on your cybersecurity strategy and overcome any challenges you might have. Call us on 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
© Copyright BlueFort Security Ltd.