Ransomware attacks – are they still a threat? How to protect against them?
It might seem that ransomware, or extortion malware, is a type of threat that no longer causes as much concern among users. Nothing…
It might seem that ransomware, or extortion malware, is a type of threat that no longer causes as much concern among users. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although cybercriminals were more active in other forms of infiltration for some time, ransomware is once again gaining strength. What’s more, it is becoming increasingly sophisticated and harmful.
Why is ransomware so dangerous?
Let’s start by explaining what ransomware actually is. In short, it is malicious software designed to extort money from its victim. A cybercriminal installs a program on the victim’s computer that uses encryption to block access to stored data. To recover the data, i.e. obtain the decryption key, the victim usually has to make a payment to the specified account. The malware can easily be downloaded by clicking on a malicious link or opening an infected attachment, for example, in an email.
Ransomware can cause enormous losses – it is relatively easy to install and can immediately paralyze a computer system. It provides the attacker with almost complete anonymity and forces the victim to bear the costs of the attack. Protection against such an attack is not easy, but it is possible.
Protection against ransomware
Experts recommend regularly updating the operating system and installing antivirus software. Disabling remote access features is also advisable. In the case of ransomware attacks, however, regularly created backups can prove to be the most useful solution. Frequent backups minimize the risk of data loss and allow the environment from before the attack to be quickly restored. However, it is important to remember that backups should be isolated from the IT infrastructure, which is why storing them in the cloud is the best solution. There are many tools that protect data and allow it to be recovered from multiple locations. One of them is Veeam Backup – a highly advanced tool that ensures the security of data and applications. Veeam offers not only backup functionality, but also data recovery, replication, and many other solutions that secure work in VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V environments. Veeam helps prevent ransomware attacks and detect them throughout the entire backup lifecycle.
Veeam solutions worth paying attention to
If you are planning to implement effective ransomware protection, it is worth getting familiar with three key features of the tool.
Veeam Cloud Connect
This is a cloud-based solution for companies that want to store backups in an external location but do not want to build their own disaster recovery site. The solution is fully secure and enables fast backups without the costs associated with maintaining separate infrastructure. Veeam Cloud Connect works particularly well with virtualized environments.
Insider Protection
Insider Protection is one of the extended features of the Veeam package. It is an advanced internal protection service introduced as one of the new features in version 5 of the Veeam package. It effectively protects backup data against accidental or intentional deletion.
Tape as a Service
Tape as a Service is a service that provides access to a tape library (a single library or an entire section of such libraries) in a cloud environment. This allows a company to “rent” storage capacity in the cloud instead of purchasing and managing its own tape library. This type of service makes it possible to take full advantage of tape storage while minimizing costs.
Conclusions
As you can see, an important aspect of ransomware protection is regularly creating backups, which allow files to be restored to their state before they were encrypted. However, it is also important to store backups in different locations, and this is where Veeam software can be an excellent solution.
