Here’s the scenario.
You’re working from home and you notice that your PC computer appears slower. Or then again maybe you can’t get to records or media documents that were accessible sometime back.
You are getting disturbed by annoying messages from Windows revealing to you that a document is of an “Unknown File Type” or “Windows can’t open this document.”
In case you’re on a Mac, you may see the message “No related application,” or “There is no application set to open the document.”
Another instance is that you’re totally locked out of your framework. You check with your colleagues and find that others are encountering a similar issue. Some are already locked out, and others are confused about what’s happening, exactly in the same way as you may be.
At that point in time, you see validation of all your fears.
“You’ve been infected with ransomware.”
So, what’s ransomware, and how to prevent it from destroying your data?
Let’s find out.
Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a user’s files. Upon encryption, the attacker accesses the user data by sending a ransom demand to the user.
Users are guided on how to complete the payment to get the decryption key. The expenses can go from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands, payable to cybercriminals in Bitcoin.
Ransomware attacks are on the ascent and have been getting more hazardous lately. An attack on corporate organizations that encrypts sensitive data can cost organizations thousands of dollars. In the first half of 2020, the complete number of worldwide ransomware reports expanded by 715% year-over-year.
How to prevent it from hurting business data?
1. Ensure you install an antivirus and upgrade it across all business endpoints. Remember, AV depends on signatures so new variations may and will get lost in cracks, however, this could without much of a stretch be the first line of protection. Furthermore, it’s ideal to have a multi-faceted security arrangement that utilizes extra defensive technologies, for example, heuristics, firewalls, behavioral-based threat prevention, and so on.
2. Create security awareness campaigns that focus on avoiding clicks on attachments and links in emails. Ask yourself:
- Do I know the sender?
- What’s the need to open the document or link?
- Did I order anything online?
One of the most common ways to get in for ransomware is Phishing which is the practice of sending emails supposedly from reputable companies in order to get you to reveal personal or corporate information. Many people don’t think twice when they see an email from a known company, therefore leading to its success.
3. Backup the data. There is a wide range of alternatives here, from support up to cloud suppliers to local storage devices or even network-attached drives, but everything has its own risk factors. Once a backup is done, it’s essential to eradicate the external storage device. So, in the future, if your system is affected by ransomware, your backup won’t be susceptible to the attack.
4. GPO restrictions are a simple and reasonable strategy for confining ransomware, but malware in general from installing. GPO can give granular command over the execution of files on an endpoint, so adding restrictions decides that block action, for example, files executing from the ‘Appdata’ directory or even deactivating the ability for executables to run from attachments.
Is your business susceptible to being affected by ransomware? Prepare, prevent, protect, and stay productive with Abacus Web Services. Get in touch with us to discuss your security and website maintenance needs.
