Ransomware has been making headlines for years, and stories of wide-scale attacks on some of today’s industry leaders have made it clear that it’s a real threat to organizations and companies of all sizes. Ransomware poses a significant problem as the cybercriminals hold your files and data “hostage” until you pay a ransom.
Ransomware can be sent through emails such as with Malspam, Maldvertisting- a malicious advertising email, Spear Phishing- a fake email sent through another employee at the company, or Social Engineering- malicious email from a trusted friend or known institution. Once they gain access to your network by an individual opening of the link, they hold your data, files, or social media access until you pay them through cryptocurrency, or give them credit card information. This affects large and small-scale companies as well as individuals. Cybercriminals are becoming more advanced as each year passes, making it vital that organizations educate their staff and implement cyber policies that defend against the threat.
To prevent Ransomware, you want to have all important data, files, etc. backed up on an external hard drive, as well as have up-to-date security software installed on all devices. Education is essential in preventing ransomware, as the majority of these cybercrimes begin with human error. Although it may seem simple, cybercriminals’ tactics are highly evolved and can fool even the most aware employee. Penetration testing focused on social engineering can help organizations identify where their vulnerabilities are, as well as implement protective cyber policies.
If an organization or individual has already been exposed to a ransomware infection, the biggest advice is to never pay the ransom, but prevention is truly the best course of action. The first step is to address where your organization’s vulnerabilities are as well as find long-term cyber security solutions that can defend against this form of attack.
