Vulnerability Assessment for Ransomware Attacks

May 30, 2018

Ransomware attacks have taken a form of an epidemic in last two years. Organizations and individual users are affected by the cryptovirological menace alike. Therefore, it is important for every user to evaluate their vulnerability against ransomware attacks. With assessment, you can devise a better strategy to deter cryptovirological attacks and to prevent consequent ransomware removal activities. Vulnerability assessment for ransomware attacks can be carried out by asking the following questions.

Are Employees Aware of Phishing Techniques?

Phishing is at the forefront of ransomware attacks. More than 80 percent cryptovirological attacks were carried out by delivering the payload through phishing mail. For that matter, it is important for any organization to educate their people regarding social engineering tactics that are used to devise a different type of phishing attacks. It is also important to note that organizations have to spend millions of dollars on ransomware removal measures because of the lack of awareness of employees regarding phishing.

Is Data Being Backed Up Regularly?

Reports suggest that the majority of businesses working in the digital realm are still not maintaining regular data backups. With the regular routine of data backups, you can significantly reduce ransomware removal cost and also the incurred downtime.

Is the Network Secure?

Ransomware operators also use Remote Desktop Services (RDS) to infiltrate organizational networks. If you are using RDS without taking care of its security, then keep in mind that your network is not protected. Similarly, if unauthorized devices are connected to the network, then it remains vulnerable to the instances of ransomware infiltrations.

Is Patch Management a Regular Practice?

Developers of cryptovirological strains frequently take advantage of the vulnerabilities of different vital software applications (MS Office, Window Scripting Files, and JavaScript etc.) to infiltrate and infect the devices with encryption.

By timely updating the devices with latest patches introduced by the developers, you can reduce the vulnerability of software. It will be interesting to mention that WannaCry ransomware, which wrecked havoc on digital users last year, used vulnerabilities of Windows system files to infiltrate the devices. A significant amount of resources were exhausted in ransomware removal activities following WannaCry epidemic.

Is increased lawmaking the answer to stopping Ransomware?

May 14, 2018

One of the most frequently asked questions related to cyber security in 2017 was, “How to remove ransomware?” There are a lot of ransomware removal tools as well as unconventional methods available online that claim to remove ransomware. However, none of them have been able to provide a realistic and potent solution to the problem.

Not only was there a surge in ransomware attacks in 2017, the amount of money being swindled by the perpetrators crossed the billion dollar mark. It has become a cyber threat to not only businesses but also the public and government agencies. The recent ransomware attack in Atlanta serves as perhaps the best example of how bold the masterminds behind ransomware have become. Even though Microsoft assisted the city in order to remove ransomware, in the end, the city district admitted that data worth millions of dollars had been compromised.

Though there are continuous efforts being undertaken in order to design a potent ransomware removal website, there is a lack of proper legislation regarding ransomware.

It might sound unbelievable, but even if the perpetrators of these ransomware attacks are caught, there is a distinct lack of laws to try them under. As long as there is no firm legal foundation, this effort to remove ransomware will always be unfruitful.

There are only a handful of states that have passed any meaningful reform in order to enact laws regarding ransomware. Georgia has a law that criminalizes the possession of ransomware while Connecticut, Texas and California have formally enacted several laws that criminalize the development of ransomware without due approval. These laws are considered as major milestones that will prove beneficial in the fight to remove ransomware as a major cyber threat to both businesses and the public.

There have been talks that the top tech firms are working with the government agencies to develop ransomware removal tools that can provide protection against ransomware attacks and pinpoint where the attack originated from.

A prototype of a similar program was instrumental in pointing out that the notorious WannaCry malware may have originated from Russia adding fuel to suspicions that there might be a foreign hand involved in the surge of ransomware attacks in 2017 in the US.