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Tag: ransomware

  • Busting 3 Ransomware Myths

    It’s Time to Bust These 3 Ransomware Myths

     In today’s digital age, ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly frequent, sophisticated and costly. With cybercriminals constantly evolving their tactics and targeting businesses of all sizes, organizations like yours must proactively safeguard your data and systems. Unfortunately, many companies fall prey to common ransomware myths, which can leave them vulnerable to attacks and unprepared to respond effectively in the event of an incident.

    In this blog, we’ll debunk three of the most prevalent ransomware myths and provide the accurate information you need to protect your business. Understanding the realities of ransomware and taking proactive steps against it can mitigate the risk and ensure you’re prepared to fight against cybercriminals.

    Top Myths to Bust

    Without further ado, let’s debunk the ransomware myths you should avoid at any cost:

    Myth #1: If my business gets hit with ransomware, I’ll pay the ransom and return to business.
    Many businesses believe that paying a ransom is the quickest and easiest way to recover encrypted data. However, that’s just a dangerous assumption.

    Paying a ransom does not guarantee that the attackers will keep their word and provide the decryption key. Also, paying a ransom only encourages cybercriminals to carry out more attacks in the future.

    The best way to protect your business is to have a solid backup strategy and a comprehensive security plan in place.

    Myth #2: My backups will get me back up and running if I get hit with ransomware. 

    While backups are essential to ransomware prevention, it’s a myth that backups will always save the day. Cybercriminals have upgraded their tactics to compromise backup files as part of their attack strategy.

    With the rise of double extortion attacks, cybercriminals not only encrypt data but also steal it. This means that even if you have a backup strategy in place, your data may still be at risk if attackers threaten to leak sensitive data unless a ransom is paid.

    Myth #3: My antivirus software (or any other security solution) provides complete protection from ransomware attacks. 

    Antivirus software is essential to a comprehensive defense against ransomware, but it’s not enough. Relying on a single security product to defend against ransomware is a mistake. There’s no silver bullet solution to ransomware. However, implementing a defense-in-depth strategy can help your business build the most.

    Partner to succeed

    While it’s true that no security measure is foolproof, taking proactive steps to secure your data and systems can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to a ransomware attack. We can help ensure your organization is well-prepared to fight against ransomware and other cyberthreats. Feel free to reach out to us for a no-obligation consultation.

    To learn more about ransomware criminals and how to defend your business, download our infographic “The Anatomy of a Ransomware Attack.” It’s a valuable resource that can help you increase your basic understanding of ransomware, identify the signs if you’ve fallen victim and prepare you to defend against these attacks.

  • OneNote Being Used to Spread Malware

     

    With Microsoft disabling macros by default on Office documents, cybercriminals are left needing another means to launch malware that’s victim-supported by default.

    We should expect nothing less of threat actors; when pushed up against a wall with their most powerful asset – Office macros – taken away from them, the most cunning of them will find alternative methods. The challenge for the most sophisticated of cybercriminals is to ensure that the greatest number of potential victims have the application needed that acts as the launcher.

    According to a recent tweet from email security company Prevention Point, a new method involving weaponized OneNote attachments has been spotted in the wild. The initial phish looks relatively standard for a socially-engineered email.

    With the OneNote execution looking somewhere between unexpected (after all, who ever needs to double-click a button within an application to see a supported document?) and sort of brilliant (I would assume that most knowledge workers haven’t interacted frequently with OneNote, so, “maybe this is how it works?”).

    And to boot, the default installation of Office 365 (that is, the software installed on a Windows endpoint) includes OneNote.

    The takeaway here is this is downright dangerous – threat actors have found yet another new way to engage with users in a way that helps move their attack forward with a double-click. This example of the constant evolution of the phish perfectly justifies why organizations need to keep users continually enrolled in security awareness training so that Joe User is always kept up on their toes with security top of mind.