How to Minimize Your Risk of a Ransomware Attack
Long back, data theft was only possible if someone gained access to your physical device. Even today, most of the world is still unaware of how easy it is for hackers to steal your data, even if they don’t have access to your hardware or passwords.Data theft has been a rising concern over the last 5 years, ever since a largely publicized data theft occurred in 2017, making hackers aware that they can gain a huge profit through online data theft. This has left companies and people struggling to find different ways in which they can protect their data from hackers online.In this blog, we’ll give you a quick and thorough walkthrough of everything you need to know to stay safe from data theft. Let’s get into it right away.
Understand the root of the problem
You can effectively ensure the protection of your data only if you actually understand what ransomware is and how it operates. Unlike other unsafe sites which steal your passwords, ransomware is created to immediately steal your data while also simultaneously blocking your access to your own data - which means that you’ll have to pay a ransom in order to be able to access your data once again.This is where the digital malware gets its name from, since it’s used to steal and blackmail huge companies and businesses of extremely classified and important data.Companies eventually give in and pay the ransom (very often) because it’s the easiest and quickest way to get their data back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always end there, because attackers try to make the most of their attack and get as much profit as they possibly can.As of now, there are currently a few different variants of ransomware which are extremely popular - here are the types you need to be aware of and keep an eye out for:1. Ryuk - a very common ransomware used by most hackers because of its effectiveness. It usually spreads via phishing emails.2. Maze - a ransomware attack which functions as data encryption. Once the data has been stolen, it encrypts the data and demands a ransom. If the ransom is not paid then the data is sold online to the highest bidder.3. Lockbit - a ransomware that targets SAAS companies and targets to rapidly attack organizations before its services are able to detect the ransomware.
Measures you can take to prevent an attack
Even though it seems scary, ransomware attacks can still be avoided - but only if you put in the effort to understand the different types of attacks and how you can avoid falling prey to it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, which should help you steer clear of most cyber attacks:1. Get the essentials rightThe first step is in making sure you have the essential safety and security measures in place. This includes:-Taking a training and education course of cyber attacks at least once a year to know of the most recent and common ransomware attacks that are taking place.-Continuously backup your data everyday - this way, you’ll be prepared even if you somehow get attacked, since you’ll still have access to all your data and can minimize the damage caused.-Make sure the system always has the latest patches applied to it.-Make your user authentication strong so it’s more difficult for hackers to get access to your data.2. Don’t risk doing the following activitiesCertain activities make you more prone to falling prey to cyber attacks, so it’s best to avoid them at all costs. These include:-Clicking on phishing messages that you get via email-Don’t risk visiting unsafe, unreliable, or fake websites which look suspicious-Don’t open file attachments from senders whom you don’t personally know-Don’t click on random links that you happen to find online