5 strategies to protect yourself from ransomware in 2023!
Fortinet Cybersecurity, Netzwerk, E-Mail, Fortinet, Malware, Betrug
If the increase in ransomware attacks in 2022 is any indicator of the future, security teams everywhere should expect this attack vector to become even more popular in 2023. In the first half of 2022 alone, the number of new ransomware variants identified by Fortinet increased by almost 100% compared to the previous six months. For example, the FortiGuard Labs team documented 10,666 new ransomware variants in the first half of 2022, compared to just 5,400 in the second half of 2021. This explosion in new ransomware variants is primarily due to more attackers taking advantage of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscriptions on the dark web.
However, despite the increase in ransomware variants, the techniques attackers use to spread ransomware remain largely the same. This predictability is good news, as security teams have a reliable approach to protecting against these attacks. Below, we take a closer look at ransomware mitigation strategies and how to implement them in your organisation.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is malware that takes data hostage and demands a ransom in return. It threatens to publish, block or corrupt data - or prevents a user from working on or accessing their computer unless they comply with the attacker's demands. Nowadays, ransomware is often sent via phishing emails. These malicious attachments infect a user's computer as soon as they are opened. Ransomware can also be spread through drive-by downloads, i.e. when a user visits an infected website. The malware on this website is downloaded and installed without the user noticing.
Social engineering also often plays a role in a ransomware attack. This is when an attacker tries to get a person to reveal confidential information. A common social engineering tactic is sending emails or text messages to trick the target into revealing confidential information, opening a malicious file or clicking on a malicious link.
What is Ransomware Defence?
Attempted attacks and data breaches are inevitable, and no business wants to be forced to choose between paying a ransom and losing important data. Fortunately, these are not the only two options. The best way is to take appropriate measures to protect your networks to reduce the likelihood of your business being affected by ransomware. This approach requires a layered security model that combines network, endpoint, edge, application and data centre controls, as well as up-to-date threat intelligence.
In addition to implementing the right security tools and processes, don't forget the role cybersecurity education plays in your ransomware mitigation strategy. Teaching your employees how to recognise a ransomware attack and educating them on strict cyber hygiene practices in general will go a long way in protecting them from clever attackers.
"Teach your staff how to spot signs of ransomware, such as emails that look like they're coming from real companies, suspicious external links and questionable file attachments."
Understanding the risks that make ransomware defence necessary
If you look around an organisation, you are likely to find security vulnerabilities that increase the likelihood of an organisation falling victim to a ransomware attack. Below are some common challenges that security teams and their organisations face that can make them more vulnerable to cyber incidents.
Lack of cyber hygiene knowledge among employees: Human behaviour continues to be a major factor in most security incidents. Aside from being able to spot the signs of ransomware, a lack of general cyber security knowledge among employees can also put your business at risk. According to the Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, 82% of security breaches last year were due to human behaviour.
Weak password policies: Inadequate policies regarding employee credentials - or the lack thereof - increase the likelihood of an organisation being hit by a security breach. Compromised credentials are involved in nearly 50% of attacks.
Inadequate security monitoring and processes: No single tool provides everything your security team needs to monitor and protect against potential cyber incidents like ransomware. A layered approach to security can help you adequately manage your organisation's risk.
Staffing shortages in security and IT teams: It's no secret that you need to have people with the right skills on your team to support monitoring and risk mitigation and effectively combat cybercrime. However, data shows that the cybersecurity skills gap is an ongoing challenge for CISOs: How to recruit and retain new talent while ensuring current team members receive the training and professional development opportunities they need?
Recent ransomware attacks to learn from
Ransomware is becoming increasingly malicious and expensive, affecting businesses across all industries and geographies. Most of us remember the recent ransomware attacks involving companies like Colonial Pipeline and JBS, but there are countless other ransomware incidents that don't make the national news. However, many ransomware attacks can be prevented by applying strict cyber hygiene practices. These include ongoing cyber awareness training for staff, as well as implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) measures and endpoint security.
5 Best Practices to Protect Against Ransomware
Effective ransomware detection requires a combination of education and technology. Below are some of the best practices to detect and prevent the development of current ransomware attacks:
Educate your employees about the characteristics of ransomware: Security training for today's employees is a must and helps organisations protect themselves against the ever-evolving threats. Teach your employees how to spot signs of ransomware, such as emails that look like they come from real companies, suspicious external links and questionable file attachments.
Use deception to lure (and stop) attackers: A honeypot is a decoy consisting of fake file stores designed to look like attractive targets for attackers. You can detect and stop the attack when a ransomware hacker targets your honeypot. Cyber deception technology like this not only uses the ransomware's techniques and tactics against itself to trigger detection, but it also uncovers the attacker's tactics, tools and procedures (TTPs) that led to its successful establishment on the network so your team can identify and close those vulnerabilities.
Monitor your network and endpoints: Continuous network monitoring allows you to log inbound and outbound traffic, check files for signs of attack (e.g. failed changes), set a baseline for acceptable user activity, and then investigate anything that seems out of the ordinary. Using anti-virus and anti-ransomware tools is also helpful, as you can use these technologies to whitelist acceptable sites. Finally, incorporating behaviour-based detection methods into your security tools is critical, especially as the attack surface for businesses expands and attackers continue to explore new avenues with new, more complex attacks.
Look outside your organisation: Consider the risks an organisation faces outside the network. As an extension of the security architecture, a DRP service can help a company identify and mitigate three additional areas of risk: Digital Asset Risks, Brand-Related Risks, and Underground and Threats.
Supplement your team with SOC-as-a-Service if needed: The current intensity of the threat landscape, both in terms of speed and sophistication, means we all have to work harder to stay up to date. But that only gets us so far. Working smarter means outsourcing certain tasks, such as incident response and threat hunting. That's why it's helpful to rely on a managed detection and response (MDR) provider or a SOC-as-a-service offering. By strengthening your team in this way, you can eliminate noise and free up your analysts to focus on their most important tasks.
While the number of ransomware attacks shows no signs of abating, there are many technologies and processes available to help your team mitigate the risks associated with these attacks. From ongoing cyber training programmes to enhanced ZTNA measures, we can keep cunning attackers at bay.