Last week, hundreds of thousands of computer systems were impacted by global cyberattacks, many in the form of ransomware. Protecting your organization from these types of attacks is more important than ever. Understanding the ins and outs of ransomware is the first step.
Ransomware is malicious software that infiltrates a network and may encrypt data or other portions of the network to deny access to administrators and users until a ransom is paid to the hackers. Organizations holding consumer data are often prime targets. Ransomware is delivered through email phishing, visiting a malicious website and even through online ads.
The Federal Trade Commission offers helpful information for defending against ransomware, including the following suggestions:
- Implement training programs to help employees recognize and avoid phishing
- Exercise good security practices, including using endpoint security products, intrusion protection software and updating third party software
- Back up date on a routine basis and keeping backups disconnected from you network
- Develop and test incident response and business continuity plans