You have already read some of our tips to help prevent the most feared and common cyber-threat of the moment, ransomware; it can hijack your computer and all the computers in your company. Its main strength is that it is able to block computers and encrypt files, and the only one who is able to decrypt it is the cyber-criminal that created it, which is why so many victims are paying the ransom demanded by these attackers.

When an attack is this sophisticated, the only way to combat it is by taking precautions. Any recommendations you may have can help you, but there is a key measure that is worth mentioning: the backup copies are your best allies to resist the escalation of a cyber-abduction.

In the second part of this guide, we will explain what is essential and how you can handle a ransomware attack.

First of all, ransomware does not block everything. If your devices have been infected, the first thing you should check is that the information is really encrypted. There are mediocre cyber-criminals that are taking advantage of the success of better-prepared, cyber-crime mafias. They do these second-rate jobs in order to simulate attacks that in reality don’t actually hijack your files, and then they reap the benefits. If you do not know how to distinguish a real threat from an imposter, make sure to consult an expert before forking the cash over to the bad guys.

Another important thing to consider: Do you have a backup? After you have verified that the attack is in fact a legitimate ransomware, the first thing you need to ask any security professional is if your company has backup copies of everything that is important. It is the only effective defense. If you have backups, you can eliminate the infected system completely, load your backups, and then everything will be back to normal.

Uses reliable tools. Not all programs are equally effective in creating backups. Unfortunately, many organizations have found that the software used to create a backup is not able replace the detailed information exactly the same as it was before the ransomware attack. Choose your work team carefully and protect your files. Good security solutions offer reliable tools.

For security reasons, it is better to keep your backups offline. In addition to this, if you want to keep ransomware from dragging you down, do not store backups on a shared disk. The more isolated your backups are from the network that is possibly infected, the more likely you are to survive and retrieve your sensitive information from them.

Make several different copies. Even if you are the most careful while carrying out these procedures, there is always a fragile moment. Those few minutes when the disk guarding your backup is copying the data, and is connected to the rest of the network. In that precise moment you are vulnerable to a cyber-criminal. In order to prevent infection, it is advisable to backups in several periods: in real time (if resources permit it), daily, weekly and monthly. They must be separate backups, and at least one of them should be disconnected from the rest of the network.

The post A Kidnapping Survival Guide: How to Combat Digital Ransomware (Part 2) appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Kidnappers can easily take your digital information using one of the most dreaded types of malware: ransomware. Cyber-criminals are relying more and more on these malicious programs to block our computers.  Now, they are asking for larger amounts of money if you want them to “give back” access to your hard-drive.

The losses that a business can incur from an attack of this kind are enormous, which is why it is essential to be knowledgeable about the basic precautions that should be taken if you are in this type of situation.  First to prevent these types of attacks; and then to fight them.

We have prepared a summarized guide with the essential things that you need to be aware of. Here they are:

• Do not forget the basics. Ignore any of the “simple” measures, which can be fatal for your company’s security. For example, if you allow your company’s employees to open email attachments containing executable files (like a Windows screensaver), then you are opening the door for cyber-attacks.

• Remember that “human factor”. People are your business’ weakest links when it comes to security, since it is usually much easier to trick them then to trick a machine. It is essential that you give your team the right skills (for example, teach them how to recognize a supplanter or a suspicious email). Your employees can be your company’s best shield against ransomware, or they can be the black hole your organization falls into.

• Perform an inventory of all of your company’s hardware and software. If something leads us to grow suspicious of a potential attack, it is important to know what “it” is and where we can find “it”.  How fast you are able to respond to an incident will largely depend on how long it takes you to locate the affected computers and systems.

• Compartmentilize your company’s network, or in other words, divide your company’s network into areas with different access profiles. Apply internal rules to define the type of communication that can be exchanged between these groups and the privileges they have during certain events, in order to prevent greater problems.

• The safety of our corporate network isn’t the only thing we need to worry about. Every computer (computers, tablets, mobile…) used by employees in the organization must be protected because they are both an entry point and a first line of defense against any type of infection. For instance, when a laptop connects from an external network not belonging to the company, the risk for infection is multiplied. We must prepare ourselves.

• Buy a good security solution for your company. If you are constantly updating your database, then an anti-virus will more likely and more rapidly be able to detect all kind of threats, even some of the newest ones.

The post A Kidnapping Survival Guide: How to Combat Digital Ransomware (Part 1) appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.