Cybersecurity is an aspect that has been gaining increasing visibility within companies. This is mainly due to the rise in the incidence of various cyberattacks around the world , affecting companies of all sizes and sectors. One example of this is a ransomware attack.
Ransomware is a type of digital threat that is being widely used today and can cause numerous problems for businesses, such as business interruptions due to data blocking or substantial financial losses.
Through this type of action, the cybercriminal blocks access to the files and data of a specific company, institution, or government agency. Once this is done, a ransom is demanded for the unlocking, constituting a form of extortion through information kidnapping.
In recent years, this type of cyberattack has gained significant visibility, mainly due to its impact. According to recent research by Trend Micro, a staggering number of companies have already suffered from ransomware attacks (approximately 84% of US companies). These massive attacks have generated immense profits for the criminals, resulting in $400 million in losses.
Because of these losses, it is essential that the company prepares its employees and managers to be able to deal with this type of threat and avoid the resulting impacts.
How the attack occurs
In most cases, ransomware attacks begin with a fake email that tricks the user into clicking a malicious link that downloads harmful software. Another strategy used is phishing , which can be applied through fake pages that disguise themselves as well-known websites, created specifically to distribute the digital threat.
Once downloaded, the user's data is encrypted, both that available on the device and that stored on the network, provided the user has access to it. This encryption process will render the content and data unusable, and only with the encryption key is it possible to recover the files to their original state.
During the execution of the scam, the ransomware perpetrator will leave some indication of how the victim should contact the cybercriminal. This can be done through a text file on the desktop or a wallpaper with a message , for example, which may contain an email address and instructions for contact, aimed at negotiating the ransom.
One of the most effective ways to protect your company's computers is by controlling access to harmful content. This can be done using a tool or software to implement an internet access control filter. This feature allows you to block access to harmful websites, or to allow access only to recognized and highly secure websites.
Preventive measures – how to prevent and avoid ransomware
The main ways to avoid ransomware attacks are related to some basic information security principles:
Beware of fake emails and websites.
The first step is to establish an educational protocol that seeks to inform users about their responsibility towards company data and information. It is necessary to guide employees and managers about the risks to which they may expose data when clicking on a link in an email or visiting a website without paying attention to the email's origin, the website address, and its veracity.
Internet access control
Using tools to protect against access to malicious websites is an extremely efficient and important solution for companies that want to increase the protection of their networks and devices. Through this type of control, the company can establish specific access rules and define which user groups will have access to which types of websites.
This approach helps prevent the use of websites unrelated to the scope of work, as well as access to addresses with harmful content. Through this tool, the manager protects the network against websites used in phishing attacks , malware propagation, and ransomware.
Antivirus
Antivirus software is an essential tool, especially for computers and servers running the Windows operating system. Using good antivirus software is crucial; it must be kept up-to-date and configured to perform regular scans.
Just as technologies advance every day, so do new ways of invading networks and damaging files, making the use of this tool an essential protocol to ensure protection against the main cyberattacks.
Software updates
Just as it's necessary to keep security software up-to-date, it's important to keep your operating system and other software packages updated. Updates are created to include various fixes and improvements related to information security.
Access permissions
Access permissions are a crucial and often overlooked aspect for companies. With busy schedules and seemingly more important tasks, managers frequently fail to pay attention to the level of access users have to the company's systems and networks.
It is very relevant and important to check the level of access that each user or group of users needs in relation to files shared on the network, for example, in order not to provide access beyond what is necessary. If a group of users only needs to view certain files and not modify them, they should only have read-only access.
Administrative-level user accounts
The creation of administrative-level accounts, while necessary on certain occasions, should be avoided. An indiscriminate number of such accounts can create vulnerabilities in the company's network and make life easier for cybercriminals.
Just like being careful with file access permissions, this measure limits the extent of damage that a user, even unintentionally, could cause to the data.
Business continuity measures – how to proceed after an attack
With advancements in security methodologies, some types of ransomware have already been decrypted, and compromised files can be recovered using dedicated tools, such as those provided by Kaspersky in the Ransomware Decryptor initiative. However, cybercriminals are finding new ways to infiltrate systems and carry out their attacks, making it a constant battle to keep devices and networks as secure as possible.
Here are some steps that can help your company protect itself and recover after a ransomware attack:
Damage analysis
Following a ransomware attack, it is necessary to assess the damage caused by the threat. To do this, it is essential to verify if the company has regained access to all files, networks, and documents that may have been encrypted.
Since this type of cyber threat involves the hijacking of information, it is essential that a team be responsible for verifying the integrity of the blocked data so that the company can continue its activities safely.
Vulnerability verification
To prevent the problem from recurring, it's necessary to assess how it happened. Your company's IT team needs to conduct a thorough scan to find vulnerabilities that may have facilitated this attack. Based on this information, it becomes easier to determine corrective measures and choose which security strategies should be implemented.
Backup recovery
In the digital world, there are various types of ransomware whose encryption remains impossible to reverse without the kidnapper's cooperation. The main effort that will solve the problem and ensure business continuity after a ransomware attack is a basic measure that should be implemented as soon as possible: backup.
Although it seems like a simple strategy, it's always worth remembering the importance of having a reliable backup from which important data can be recovered after any incident. The main way to solve the problem after data has been locked by ransomware is to restore the data from a backup.
The backup protocol should be implemented in such a way that a backup copy is kept in a location disconnected from the original data location. In other words, for security purposes, the backup cannot be stored on the same disk as the data used daily. This is because, in the specific case of ransomware , it is possible that the backup files could also be locked during the attack , rendering the backup useless. It is important to have a backup copy in a location that is physically and logically separate from the original location.
Choose your security tool to prevent future attacks.
The Lumiun Tecnologia team has already assisted numerous companies in analyzing ransomware attack cases where there was no internet access control. In many of these cases, the attack and the resulting losses could have been avoided with the right tools, blocking access to harmful websites and content.
The absence of a valid data backup, stored in a location different from the original server, makes all the difference during recovery from a ransomware attack. When the damage is noticed, it's normal to experience a little panic and enormous concern about "what are we going to do now, without the data on our systems?"
As we mentioned earlier, cybercriminal groups that carry out ransomware attacks suggest that, after your files are locked, you contact them to pay a ransom in order to release the data. However, it is necessary to assess the risk of negotiating or paying the ransom, considering that there is no guarantee of data recovery.
This aspect further highlights how important it is to prevent attacks and prepare in advance for business continuity after an incident. I hope this article helps you understand all aspects of a ransomware attack, in order to protect and keep your company's data safe. Contact us to find the best solution to ensure the protection of your company's networks, devices, and data.
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