Here Are Ways to Prevent Ransomware

How to prevent and defend from ransomware

Have you guys heard about Ransomware? If not, then you’re lucky (for now) as it on the rise again. Ransomware is a malware that will encrypt data of victim's information for a ransom. A user or even organizations will not able to access their files, database and sometimes applications is stopped working as certain files that needed to run the app also got encrypted. It is a growing threat to digital world and it's generating billions of dollars in payment to cybercriminals and inflicting a huge damage for user, business and governmental organizations.

This is one of cybercriminal’s way to get more money on their hands, by using their skill sets to ransom others. these cybercriminals, attack and threaten their victims into compliance. for an example they will warn you that they will release a sensitive data one dark web or leak web if the victim doesn't pay up anytime soon, and this guy is serious. According to Unit 42's 2022 Ransomware Report, ransomware groups posted 85% more victim data on the dark web in 2021 than they did in 2020. Even Official said that there is 1858 attack from January to June of 2022. Their main target were in the financial services, healthcare and information technology sector.

So how did they get into that number? Ransomware attack and their variants are rapidly evolving to counter preventive technology for several reason

The ease availability of malware kits that can be used to create new malware samples on demand, especially with generative AI.
Use of known good generic interpreters to create cross-platform ransomware (for example, Ransom32 uses Node.js with a JavaScript payload)
New techniques such as encrypting the full disk drive instead of randomly selected files

Sadly, today’s thieves don’t even have to be tech savvy. Ransomware marketplaces have sprung up online, offering malware strains to any would-be cybercrook while also generating extra revenue for malware authors, who frequently request a cut of the ransom proceeds.

And how is it so hard to find the man behind these attacks? It’s the use of cryptocurrency for a payment such as bitcoin makes it hard to track down both the money tail and the criminal. Cybercrime groups also devising ransomware schemes into make a quick buck. Easy availability of open-source code with drag and drop platforms to develop ransomware has also accelerated creation of new ransomware and its variant and help beginner scrip novices to create their own ransomware

There are a few ways to prepare and defend yourself (and your organizations)

Stay educate on these ransomware attack. keep an eye on news regarding ransomware threats and attack.
Backup your data. If you know which data is at risk if it encrypted (or exposed), then you need to set up a schedule backup and have a backup off-site.
Make sure everyone you work or interact with know about this threat, so they will not accidentally sharing suspicious stuff and incidentally infecting a ransomware to you
Use and keep security software up to date. Ensure that all of your computers and devices are secured with comprehensive security software, and that all of your software is up to date. Make sure to update the software on your devices on a regular basis, as patches for flaws are typically included in each update.
Do a safe surfing. Always be careful where you click, do not response email and text from people you don't know and only download files from trusted sources. This is important since malware authors often use social engineering to try to get you to install dangerous files.

And if you ever get attacked with ransomware, it’s important to act quickly and fortunately, there are several steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of minimizing damage and quickly returning to normal operations.

Isolate the infected device. Ransomware will encrypt any files that is connected to your devices either randomly or all of them. By knowing which device is infected, you will at least stop it from spreading into any other devices.
Stop spreading the infected files. Because ransomware spreads quickly, and the infected device isn't always Patient Zero, immediate isolation of the infected device won't ensure that the ransomware isn't present elsewhere on your network. To effectively limit its scope, disconnect all suspiciously behaving devices from the network, including those operating off-premises—if they're connected to the network, they pose a risk no matter where they are. It's also a good idea to turn off wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) at this point.
Assess the damage. Look which files that is encrypted with strange extension on it. If it happened that not all your files have been infected, isolated them and turn off the system to contain the attack and prevent more further damage.
Locate the original infected file. Once you've identified the source, tracking the infection becomes much easier. Check for any alerts from your antivirus/antimalware or any active monitoring platform to do so. And, because the majority of ransomware enters networks via malicious email links and attachments, which require an end user action, asking people about their activities (such as opening suspicious emails) and with you know from which the files came from, you can avoid it in the future.
Identify what kind of ransomware you’re infected with. It's critical to figure out which type of ransomware you're dealing with. One option is to go to No More Ransom, a global initiative in which Trellix is involved. The site provides a suite of tools to assist you in releasing your data, including the Crypto Sheriff tool: Simply upload one of your encrypted files, and it will search for a match.
Surf the internet to find the descriptor. If you don't have a backup at the moment, there's still a slim chance you can recover your data. No More Ransom is home to an increasing number of free decryption keys. If a decryption key is available for the variant of ransomware you're dealing with, you can use it to unlock your data.
Move on. Unfortunately, if you don't have any backups and can't find a decryption key, your only option may be to scrap everything and start over.