Ransomware: Your biggest security headache refuses to go away

Cybersecurity

Ransomware: Your biggest security headache refuses to go away

Ransomware attacks have been with us for decades: Here’s why they will continue to create chaos for years to come.

Ransomware has been around for more than three decades, so it’s hardly an unexpected threat. And yet, organisations large and small are still being taken completely by surprise by the file-encrypting malware, leaving them to decide between rebuilding many of their computer systems from scratch to rid themselves of the ransomware or paying up to the crooks in the hope that they will hand over the encryption keys. So why aren’t we learning the lessons from all the companies that have already been hit by ransomware over the years? Here are a few reasons.

  • Nobody thinks that they will be the next victim

This is one of the root problems; while many organisations are aware of the ransomware threat, they don’t think they’re going to be the next victim. Some firms think they are too small or obscure to be noticed by ransomware gangs. Others think they are too well protected to be at risk. Both can be wrong; some ransomware attacks start with a spray of malware-filled emails that could end up in pretty much anyone’s inbox; others start with randomly scanning for internet-facing ports. Either of these could put any organisation of any size at risk. And as for those big companies that think they are invulnerable? Well, there are plenty of examples of huge organisations being hit hard by ransomware gangs who have the money and the time to play a long game.

  • Security basics are be ignored

Ransomware crooks are sometimes portrayed as master criminals and while they are undoubtedly sophisticated, most ransomware attacks are preventable by relatively straightforward steps. Keeping software patched and updated is one of the basics. Some of the ransomware that is causing the most problems relies on some pretty old software flaws in order to spread. Fixes for these flaws are readily available and yet too many companies aren’t applying them. Of course, software patching is boring, time consuming and costly work that brings little obvious benefit. But rebuilding all your customer databases after a ransomware attack is probably going to be a lot worse.

  • Staff aren’t taking security seriously

Because some ransomware attacks still start with a bogus email, a wrong decision by an individual worker can put your whole organisation at risk. That means educating staff as to what phishing and ransomware looks like is extremely important. Also, it’s still too easy for a single mistake to cause chaos because once crooks have access to the network, too many times companies stick with default passwords across the network, or give too many staff too wide-ranging access to systems, which means that once their account is hacked, the threat to the broader organisation is much greater. Remote working is not making this any better, of course.

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Ransomware: Your biggest security headache refuses to go away