IT Plan for Combating Ransomware Threats
Ransomware, a type of malicious software that encrypts data from companies and organizations, has become a significant concern in today's digital landscape. By the end of 2021, ransomware accounted for 12% of all malware attacks, quadrupling from the previous two years.
This malware often lurks in networks for several days before initiating data encryption, making detection complex. Before encrypting data, the malware copies business-critical data from the victim's network to the attacker's server, a method that has been standard since 2020, often via a technique known as DNS tunneling.
DNS tunneling involves encapsulating another protocol within DNS, and it can be used for "Command and Control", data exfiltration, or tunneling IP traffic. This method is employed by various ransomware frameworks, including DNS-Beacon, SUNBURST, and APT group OilRig.
URL or DNS addresses used in ransomware activities can be flagged and blocked by a DNS filter, providing significant advantages in DNS filtering. One such product is Blue Shield Umbrella by Blue Shield Security GmbH, which offers Whitelist DNS Filter with AI support.
Combining Whitelist DNS Filter with integrated sandbox provides the highest possible protection against ransomware attacks. OPSWAT Sandbox, for instance, can respond to changed malware strategies and work against increasingly intelligent malware.
While technical measures such as antivirus software, log management & SIEM, firewalls, patch management, endpoint detection & response (EDR), and network detection & response (NDR) are helpful, they will only truly protect if data from different sources is correlated and a configured SOC (Security Operations Center) or ISMS (Information Security Management System) is in place.
Additional organizational measures like security training and behavioral guidelines for employees are highly desirable. A certain degree of skepticism can be effective against zero-day malware.
Ransomware often threatens to publish business data on the dark web unless a ransom is paid, making it highly profitable for the attacker. However, it's important to note that ransomware extortionists have no interest in your data; their sole aim is to secure ransom. Better-protected IT systems can provide some protection, but there are also attackers who use "Ransomware-as-a-Service" without technical knowledge.
Ransomware enters IT systems through common channels like phishing, spoofing, unpatched security vulnerabilities, drive-by-downloads, and malicious content in active internet content. The more combined technical security measures and a healthy dose of common sense, the better the protection against ransomware attacks.
However, new attack techniques can quickly render defense measures or human error ineffective. The weakest link in your defense chain can bring down your IT if not all possible countermeasures are exhausted. This risk is insufficiently secured given the increasing number of ransomware attacks and potential costs.
According to the Acronis Cyberthreats Report 2022, Germany was one of the three most frequently targeted countries by malware at the end of 2021. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it's crucial for businesses and organizations to stay vigilant and proactive in their cybersecurity measures.
