Imagine this scenario: You are the CEO of a technology company, and you are united and your business is in order. However, the company's proud innovation strength in the digital market is about to be challenged, and the "quiet years" situation will be broken in an instant...
On a sunny Monday morning, employees arrived at the office ready for another fulfilling work week. Unbeknownst to them, however, a group of cunning hackers had launched a sophisticated malware attack against the company. They planted the malware two months ago and left it dormant until the latest patch. This update activated the malware, which then began to spread.
The day went on as usual until employees noticed messages popping up on their screens. It was obvious that the network was compromised. Hackers target backup files...and they encrypt critical files, making them inaccessible. Disturbing news follows, with the hackers demanding millions of dollars in payment or threatening to release company data to the public.
Fortunately, experienced CEOs are prepared for ransomware attacks. The company’s isolated, immutable backup is ready. But the issue is not the ability to recover. The problem is that they hacked into backup systems and stole information. Hackers have compromised a portion of file storage. Given this, the team moved quickly to analyze the extent of the attack and develop a plan to mitigate the damage. The team isolated the infected system to prevent further spread and initiated incident response protocols.
The clock is ticking. Management decided to join forces with law enforcement to investigate. Meanwhile, the team began recovering the files themselves. Day after day, night after night, the company worked together to recover and close the vulnerabilities. Apparently, company operations have slowed down significantly, causing concern among customers and partners.
The good news is that the stolen files have been encrypted and the data is safe. Within the protection policies and workflows set by the company, the system will automatically encrypt all stored data, leaving hackers helpless.
Proactive resiliency and cyber preparedness are critical. Ransomware continues to pose a significant threat to organizations. At the same time, ransomware attacks are also increasing and becoming more complex.
Veritas recommends that enterprises take the following key steps to more proactively respond to ransomware threats:
1. Protect yourself from unnecessary potential exposure to ransomware attacks: Ransomware typically enters organizations and/or networks through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or software vulnerabilities. Familiarity with different infiltration methods and their potential impacts is critical to effective risk assessment.
2. Identify vulnerabilities: Start with a comprehensive security audit to identify weaknesses in software, hardware, network configuration, and user behavior. Evaluate elements such as security protocols, patch management practices, access controls, and employee training programs.
3. Assess the sensitivity of the data: Not all data has the same value. Conduct a thorough assessment to prioritize resources and establish appropriate security measures. Classify data based on its importance, confidentiality and integrity requirements. Create a hierarchical protection system so that users can focus on protecting high-value assets and reducing potential losses.
4. Establish backup and recovery: A strong backup and recovery strategy is critical to mitigating ransomware risks. Regularly back up critical data and store it offline or in a secure offshore location to ensure it remains accessible in the event of an attack. Establishing a recovery protocol and conducting regular testing can help reduce downtime and data loss.
5. Implement multi-layered security: Effective malware defense requires a multi-layered approach. This includes deploying robust endpoint protection solutions, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and strong access controls. Implementing secure configurations, regularly updating software, and conducting vulnerability assessments are critical to reducing your attack surface and improving your security posture.
6. Educate and train various lines of business: Cybercriminals often exploit human error to gain unauthorized access. Cybersecurity awareness and training programs are critical to reducing risk. Educate employees on how to identify phishing emails, follow safe browsing practices, and follow appropriate security protocols. Regular training sessions and simulations can significantly improve your safety culture.
7. Develop an incident response plan: Even with strong preventative measures in place, it’s important to be prepared for potential incidents. Develop a response plan so you can mitigate the impact of an attack quickly and effectively. Ensure the plan includes steps to isolate infected systems, communicate with stakeholders, engage law enforcement, and safely resume operations.
As the saying goes: Too many skills do not overwhelm the body. The more knowledge, the safer...
Remember: dealing with a ransomware infection is largely a race against time. The sooner an infection is contained and the appropriate stakeholders are notified, the more likely it is that damage can be minimized and data can be recovered.
Veritas purpose-built data protection appliances provide tamper-proof cyber resiliency, beyond zero-trust architecture, scalability and a simple way to perform recovery at scale. With isolated recovery environment solutions that support NetBackup and Flex, IT can be confident in its recovery capabilities and keep data safe, protected by powerful features like advanced malware scanning at all times, whether in the same environment, in a different data center or in the cloud. , the platform supports IT to take immediate action and successfully restore the system.
Click "Read More" to learn more about Veritas' approach to dealing with ransomware.