Rob Cataldo, Managing Director of Kaspersky North America discusses how to stay ahead of ransomware attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When taking a close look at some of the most prevalent cybersecurityOpens a new window threats of our time, it is clear that cyber hackers strategically plan their attacks around what is trending in the world at that moment. Whether it is movie awards season, music festival season or even the ongoing global COVID-19Opens a new window healthcare pandemic, cyber attackersOpens a new window leverage these events to take advantage of users by deploying sophisticated malware attacks.
Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a timely example, reports show ransomware attacks against critical healthcare organizations like the World Health Organization, Department of Health and Human Services, etc. have spikedOpens a new window during this unprecedented healthcare crisis.
Learn More: Remote Access Detection in the Time of CoronavirusOpens a new window
This begs the question: are employees able to identify and assist IT departments to defend against ransomware attacks if their industry becomes a key target?
1.Ransomware Attacks Highlight Vulnerabilities
Despite COVID-19’s serious impact on the wellbeing of humans across the world, cybercriminals are not sparing the healthcare professionals and organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic in regards to ransomware attacks.
Researchers observed examples of this in late March when several malicious email campaigns were sent from a fake, but unassuming, World Health Organization account. The purpose of the emails was to spread ransomware to employees who work for an unnamed Canadian government health organization that is actively engaged in COVID-19 efforts, as well as a university in Canada conducting COVID-19 research and labs working on vaccines for the virus.
The onslaught of cyber attacks against vulnerable hospitals and healthcare organizations is compounded by the fact that many employees lack the cybersecurity knowledge to prevent such threats.
A recent reportOpens a new window on the topic of awareness and perceptions of ransomwareOpens a new window attacks in businesses across North America highlighted that 37% of business employees do not know what ransomware is and therefore would not be able to identify a ransomware attack should their device be infected. Another reportOpens a new window on the state of cybersecurityOpens a new window in healthcare found that 40% of healthcare workers in North America are not aware of cybersecurity measures in place at their organization to protect IT devices. This poses a serious security risk as this attack vector holds computer systems at ransom, restricting access to files and demanding the user pay a ransom to remove the restriction.
Since many employees lack a baseline knowledge about ransomware, they also lack an understanding of how to respond to a ransomware attackOpens a new window . More than a third (35%) of survey respondents admitted that they would not know what to do if their business organization did not pay a ransom and their personal information was at risk of being exposed.
2. To Pay, or Not to Pay a Ransom
A seemingly easy and quick way to resolve a ransomware attack could be to simply pay the ransom required, but with the average ransom amount reaching over $1 million dollars with no guarantee of the stolen data being fully restored, some experts advise that it is best not to pay a ransom.
The overwhelming response from the survey concluded that just over two thirds (67%) of respondents would not be willing to pay any amount of money to recover personal digital files or devices they could no longer access if they fell victim to a ransomware attack. However, 39% of employees think that their respective companies should pay a ransom to retrieve personal information about employees such as telephone numbers, addresses, etc., with social security numbers being a top priority.
With more employees now working from home to flatten the curve and keep COVID-19 from spreading, it is important that remote workers protect access to corporate networks. They can do so by logging on to their network via VPN Opens a new window and using secure passwords for domain accounts. This will allow the cybersecurity protections on IT devices to better detect and protect against any malicious activity.
3. Looking Ahead to Better Prevent Ransomware Attacks
Businesses and employees can do their part in minimizing ransomware attacks by following a few easy guidelines. First, it is essential to install all security updates as soon as they appear as most cyberattacks exploit vulnerabilities that have already been reported and addressed. Additionally, due to the lack of cybersecurity awareness among employees, IT security departments within business organizations should educate employees about cybersecurity hygiene to prevent attacks from happening.
Most importantly, remember that ransomware is a criminal offense and paying a ransom will not guarantee that your private information is restored. In the instance that your business is hit with ransomware, decryptors can be found on the internet, some of which are available through online resources such as this oneOpens a new window .
Businesses and employees can do their part in minimizing ransomware attacks by following a few essential guidelines:
- Install all security updates as soon as they appear. Most cyberattacks exploit vulnerabilities that have already been reported and addressed, so installing the latest security updates lowers the chances of an attack.
- Protect remote access to corporate networks by VPN and use secure passwords for domain accounts.
- Remember that ransomware is a criminal offence, and you shouldn’t pay a ransom. If you become a victim, report it to your local law enforcement agency.
- Educate employees about cybersecurity hygiene to prevent attacks from happening.
- Use a reliable endpoint security solution to protect devices not only from ransomware, but a range of other threats.
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