4 min
Statistics show ransomware attacks have surged, with the frequency of these events matched by their growing sophistication. Thus, developing a ransomware prevention response plan – as detailed in this article – has never been more crucial.
What Is Ransomware?
With roots in the 1980s, ransomware is malware that encrypts targeted files and holds them for ransom. Attackers demand payments – often in cryptocurrency – to decrypt the files under the threat of otherwise deleting valuable files or revealing sensitive data to the public.
Ransomware Prevention Benefits
Implementing ad hoc ransomware protection measures without rhyme or reason is insufficient. The potential threat requires a robust, multi-dimensional strategy dedicated to threat mitigation and attack response.
In particular, companies should incorporate a playbook as an all-encompassing guide that defines crucial processes, policies, stakeholders, and prevention practices against ransomware.
With an overarching ransomware defense and response playbook and defined strategy, companies experience the following benefits:
- Ensure successful attack preparation.
- Limit the impact of incidents.
- Save data, money, and time.
- Limit downtime before returning to normal business operations.
- Reduce future attack risks.
Who Should Help Define Your Ransomware Response And Prevention Playbook?
Here’s a list of the pivotal players in creating your ransomware response and prevention strategy playbook:
- Security & Risk Management professionals: Such talent includes but isn’t limited to Security and IT operations people, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and the Chief Audit Executive (CAE).
- Finance: Finance teams will help with ransom payment options (e.g., crypto) while basing decisions on business priorities and attack-oriented circumstances for optimal preparation.
- Legal Counsel: Legal teams will aid with law enforcement documentation, engagement requirement guidance, and compliance with customer reporting and federal agencies.
- Procurement: Procurement personnel will smoothly onboard and communicate existing cyber insurance coverages.
- Communications: Comms talent will effectively communicate your playbook protocols internally and externally before incidents, during one, and afterward.
Top Seven Proactive Ransomware Defense Practices
The best ransomware response is to prevent them from happening in the first place, which you can do with these seven practices:
Mitigate ransomware risks by regularly backing up external or cloud server data, incorporating the 3-2-1 rule:
- Three copies.
- Two types of storage.
- One copy offline.
Consider implementing an extra immutable cloud storage copy.
2. Continually Update Systems And Software
Frequently update operating systems, browsers, antivirus, software, etc., because ransomware continues to evolve in sophistication. The longer your systems and software are outdated, the more vulnerable they are to potential attacks.
3. Equip With Robust Firewalls And Antivirus Software
Don’t skimp on firewall protection and antivirus software. Perform due diligence and ensure you invest in cybersecurity products that match your business’s needs to stave off ransomware attacks.
4. Utilize Network Segmentation
Segment your network into subsystems, each with unique firewalls and security controls. This measure will confine ransomware attacks to one smaller area, lending security teams time to identify, isolate, and eliminate threats.
5. Boost Access Controls
Implement tools like multi-factor authentication (MFA) to stifle ransomware attackers trying to sneak into your networks and systems without authorization.
6. Train Your Team
Your business’s success in staving off ransomware attacks will predominantly depend on a well-trained staff who knows how to react to questionable links or emails or if they face a ransom note.
Give your team this leg up by regularly running cybersecurity awareness and training drills and updating them on emerging threats.
7. Streamline Your Asset Management Protocols
Track potential holes in your IT infrastructure’s security constantly. IT infrastructure monitoring solutions like Domotz will inform you of all connected systems in your network, helping you stay ahead of threats.
Strategic Recovery Planning
Whether through human error, hyper-sophisticated ransomware, or a combination, prevention strategies can fail to defend against an attack or breach.
Fortunately, preparing an overarching ransomware strategy or playbook means you’ll have a built-in recovery response to prevent the most damaging outcomes. You’ll limit downtime, prevent reputational damage, and satisfy regulatory demands to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Here’s what your recovery planning should include:
Containment Protocols
Containment strategies should start with the actions immediately taken once a system appears to have suffered a ransomware attack.
System shutdowns, network disconnections, and disabling affected functions are examples of containment responses for single system breaches.
Disconnect broadly impacted sites for multi-systems to prevent lateral movement during isolated attacks. Consider disabling outbound connectivity at the site level to cut attacker command and control.
Eradicating The Attack
Once you’ve successfully contained an incident and mitigated its spread, the ransomware eradication process must begin.
Examples of ransomware eradication methods include:
- Disabling breached user accounts.
- Deleting malware.
- Mitigating all exploited vulnerabilities.
You should also perform root cause analysis (RCA) to decipher the weakness leveraged and the method used to commit the breach. An RCA will help you prevent future attacks of a similar nature.
The Recovery Stage
Enter the recovery process only once you’ve contained the attack and determined its root cause. Document your recovery plans to outline how to restore affected data and files with secure and reliable backup sources.
Post Incident Response
A specific post-incident response (PIR) process will aid in recovery and prevent similar attacks from happening again.
Security responders should partner with associated parties in a PIR report to:
- Pinpoint root causes and develop high-level plans to ensure future incidents with matching patterns don’t occur.
- Incorporate technical controls to fill gaps and mitigate weaknesses.
- Determine lapses (either technical or communication-based), manual errors, procedural failures, and flaws in the security process that might contribute to threat response delays.
- Evaluate the sufficiency of response procedures and thoroughness of operating procedures.
- Evaluate potential flaws in employee cybersecurity training and improve upon them.
- Use the insights from the PIR process to implement and enforce new company-wide security policies.
Prepare For The Worst For The Best Results
Ransomware attacks are more advanced and frequent than ever. So, your ransomware response plan must prepare you for the worst so that you respond in the best way possible—our dynamic tips for developing your ransomware response will help you do just that!
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