What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is one of the latest forms of malware plaguing the Internet today. In a ransomware scenario, a user’s system is held hostage until the user agrees to pay the proposed ransom through BitCoin or other hard to trace online payment method. These ransoms can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to tens of thousands of dollars! Okay, so we know that it is bad, but how do we prevent ransomware?

Ransomware attacks disguise themselves as legitimate files. They will typically spread through email attachments, infected programs, and compromised websites. One of the most common delivery systems is phishing spam. Once they’re downloaded and opened, they can take over the victim’s computer; these ransomware attacks target multiple platforms, including both Mac and PC operating systems.

Challenges with Ransomware

Ransomware groups are getting sneakier. To avoid detection and boost the probability of infection, ransomware techniques are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and may lay dormant for days (or weeks). Newer versions of the malware try to infect network shares in addition to local direct-attached hard drives. Recent ransomware attacks try to disable data recovery options by either disabling Microsoft VSS to eliminate local recovery options and/ or encrypt/decrypt backups to make a recovery from traditional backup impossible.

Should You Pay the Ransom?

If your data gets infected with malware, you might be thinking, should you pay the ransom? Most law enforcement agencies urge you to not pay the ransom because doing so encourages hackers to create more ransomware. Companies need to keep a couple of things in mind when dealing with ransomware. First, what looks like ransomware may not have encrypted your data at all; make sure you aren’t dealing with so-called “scareware” before sending any money. Second, paying the attackers doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your files back. Sometimes the criminals take the money and run, and may not have built decryption functionality into the malware. (cssonline.com)

Prevent Ransomware

As ransomware becomes smarter, so must the solutions from the Anti-Virus security providers. As part of a multi-faceted security plan, it is imperative to have; a well thought out perimeter security, intrusion/malware detection and isolation, and backup/recovery process with well-defined frequency. Usually, the most cost-effective solution involves utilizing an MSP like Data-Tech to help prevent ransomware.

Summary

StorageCraft’s next-generation storage helps protect users from ransomware attacks looking to take your data hostage. It is critical to ensure that an IT organization is well prepared with a multi-faceted security plan. Having StorageCraft to complement these procedures provides a painless recovery and an added layer of protection to give you confidence that your users are safe and your data secure. StorageCraft allows its customers to recover from ransomware infection painlessly.

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