Steps to Help Prevent & Limit the Impact of Ransomware

From small local government entities to large organizations, ransomware attacks are everywhere. It's up to all of us to help prevent these attacks from being successful.

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files on a system or device in an attempt to coerce the victim to pay a ransom. Threat Actors (TAs) can also warn of files being leaked, erased, or inaccessible. TAs will drop ransom notes claiming responsibility and encourage a response from the victim through the medium they dictate, through encrypted chat or email (for example). Ransomware can be particularly harmful when it targets hospitals, emergency call centers, and other critical infrastructure, as a successful infection could disrupt access to systems and data necessary for delivering life-saving medical treatment and upholding public safety.

To protect against ransomware, you need a holistic, all-hands-on-deck, defense-in-depth approach that brings together your entire organization. Below are four ways you can get started in your efforts to stop attacks and limit the effects of ransomware. We've mapped each step to the applicable security best practices of the CIS Critical Security Controls so that you can learn more on each topic.