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Ransomware attacks are on the increase, with the first part of 2017 showing a 250 percent increase in infections. It is only a matter of time before a business under attack by an advanced persistent threat will be hacked, so it’s important to prepare the proper defense to make it as difficult as possible. Gone are the days where you could install a simple antivirus program and then continue doing business as usual. You need solutions that covers as many threat vectors as possible.
Antivirus software still has a place at the table to prevent low level infections on computers but it’s no longer a case of install and forget. Antivirus software has to be constantly updated to ensure that it has the latest definitions of recent cyber software attacks. Historically Antivirus would run according to a set schedule, but now it needs to be a real time component of your security defense, actively scanning for assaults.
Malware Scanning
Antivirus has a very narrow focus of scanning for known viral signatures and patterns, and although vendors are adapting their software to recognize malware signatures, a dedicated malware scanner is another necessary tool in your arsenal. A malware scanner is similar in structure to an antivirus, but has a dedicated focus on active and passive malware signatures. Malware scanners also have extensions that allow active web scanning to ensure you don’t suffer from a watering hole attack or active extensions that are prone to infection like Flash and Java.
Data Assurance
Ransomware attacks your data and bets its business model on the fact that your data is precious to you and that you would be willing to pay a ransom to have it unlocked and returned. To be proactive, add a data backup and recovery module to your infrastructure. If you identify your key data during a risk management analysis you can prioritize your data based on the value of it to the business. From there you can determine what and when to backup. You also need to test your recovery at least semi annually to ensure that you can recover the data as fast as possible.
People are the Target
All of the security solutions in the world mean nothing if your users click on any extension or attachment they get in an email. Ensure that you conduct specific and general training for all staff who use the internet. Human Resources needs very specific training about recognizing ransomware attacks because they are one of the easiest attack vectors for hackers due to their need to open resumes as well as their privileged access to network resources. Consider a cloud based recruitment solution to protect your HR department from infection and putting in place the right of least privilege. Also ensure that your executive level is involved in the training as whale phishing, or attacks targeting C level users is very common and often successful.
One Ring to Bind Them All
Ideally, you can find a tool that will provide full protection in a single solution. This was the idea behind SentinelOne. It provides multilayered endpoint protection that is remarkably efficient in preventing even some of the most advanced zero day attacks. Check out this demo:
SentinelOne was recently rated Most Visionary by Gartner in the 2017 Magic Quadrant for endpoint protection as well as the highest Return on Investment and lowest Total Cost of Ownership by NSS Labs.
Click Here if you would like to learn more about SentinelOne or schedule a private demo.
