BotNet News

Ransomware is malware that encrypts your data, leaving you with no choice but to pay criminal hackers for the decryption key. Criminal gangs are collecting tens of millions of dollars per day from organizations, including government agencies, police departments and even whole cities. And those figures don’t include the lost productivity and brand damage that accompanies the attack.

Criminals gain unsanctioned access to your network using phishing techniques or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Once inside, they use tools to withdraw files from the network and encrypt them. This makes your important documents, backup systems, applications and databases unusable. It’s not just large corporations that fall victim to ransomware attacks — small businesses are also at risk.

Once ransomware has encrypted a machine’s files, it displays a screen demanding payment. It gives victims a limited time to make the payment or else they will lose all the encrypted data. Most experts recommend against paying a ransom, as it will only perpetuate the problem and could lead to future attacks. And, there’s no guarantee that attackers will actually provide the decryption keys.

Organizations can respond to a ransomware attack by isolating infected aspects of the system, powering down those areas and contacting law enforcement. However, the time spent on these activities can increase the downtime and impact productivity. Additionally, the involvement of law enforcement may delay recovery efforts as they seek to identify and track the attackers. Ultimately, the best way to combat ransomware is with solid network and endpoint protection, employee training and a well-defined incident response plan.