How to Prevent Ransomware Attacks: Best Practices and Tips

What is ransomware and is it a genuine risk?

Ransomware is a kind of cyberattack in which hackers block a company’s most critical information and demand a big ransom to return it. That’s nightmare-ish already, but it gets worse. These attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent, threatening businesses of all sizes.

The aftereffects of these strikes? Brutal. Let’s get into a few real-world cases that will show you how terrible it can get.

Colonial Pipeline attack 

The Colonial Pipeline cyberattack was a massive ransomware hit that shut down the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S., creating chaos along the East Coast. Hackers swiped 100GB of data, locked up key systems, and forced the company to cough up $4.4 million just to get things running again. This whole mess exposed how vulnerable critical infrastructure is to cyberattacks — and how much everyday people can be affected when things go south.

JBS Foods attack 

The JBS Foods attack was a ransomware attack that targeted the world’s largest meat processor. The attack forced the company to shut down operations in multiple countries, disrupting global food supply chains and leading to significant economic losses. To have control of its systems back, JBS paid a $11 million ransom to the attackers. The JBS case demonstrates that critical industries are not immune to cyberattacks, while such attacks have the potential for widespread disruption.

How do these terrible attacks happen? To understand this, we need to discuss the most common ways of ransomware infection.

How ransomware infections happen

Cybercriminals use multiple ways to infiltrate systems and deploy ransomware:

• Phishing emails and links: Deceptive emails that mimic legitimate messages, often with urgent or enticing subject lines, trick employees into clicking malicious links or downloading infected attachments. These attacks can lead to data breaches, malware infections, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
  
• Ancient, legacy computer programs: If a computer or app OS isn’t updated, it’s like leaving the front gates open. Hackers can sneak in through these weaknesses and take control. That’s why keeping everything updated is important.
  
• Unsecured networks: Public Wi-Fi networks and poorly protected network infrastructures create significant security risks, as they can be easily intercepted and compromised by malicious actors. Using strong passwords, encryption, and avoiding sensitive activities on public networks can help mitigate these risks.

These are the possible ways ransomware can sneak into a company. Now that you know how the awful folks get in, let’s talk of methods for avoiding ransomware attacks and halting hackers before they cause inconvenience.

Steps to prevent ransomware attacks

Below you can see a list of ransomware prevention best practices, so that you can have methods for protecting your company against these rising dangers:

1. Make ransomware prevention part of your security strategy

To keep ransomware out, having a strong security strategy is key. This means setting up rules for protecting against ransomware threats that everyone in a company follows.

• Build a solid security plan: Create clear guidelines and rules for keeping systems safe. This should include things like who can access what, how to respond to threats, and how to protect important data. The stronger the plan, the harder it is for hackers to break in!
  
• Set up strong defenses: Utilize a blend of firewalls, antivirus computer programs, intrusion detection systems, encryption, and access controls to protect against ransomware. Having multiple layers of ransomware defense will make the company’s data as safe as it can be.
  
• Regularly check your security frontline for weak spots: Just like you update your phone apps, security rules need regular check-ups too. Run security tests, audits, and scans to find and fix any holes hackers might try to sneak through. Staying one step ahead makes it much harder for ransomware to break in! 

2. Regularly back up data

For data backup consider implementing the following practices: 

• Use automated backup systems
• Store backups in multiple, secure locations
• Use offline and cloud-based backup solutions
• Test backup restoration processes from time to time

3. Train your employees

Employee education is a critical line of your ransomware defense:

• Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training
• Teach employees to recognize phishing attempts
• Establish clear protocols for handling suspicious communications
• Implement simulated phishing exercises

4. Keep software up-to-date

Using vulnerabilities of outdated software is one of the most common ways hackers can attack your company with ransomware. To make sure all your software is at minimal risk, follow these steps: 

• Ensure you have the most recent versions of all software
• Enable automatic updates when possible
• Patch systems promptly
• Use vulnerability management tools like Qualys, Nessus, or CrowdStrike Falcon

5. Secure your emails

To secure all your business or personal emails, we suggest you follow these tips: 

• Implement advanced email filtering: Get spam filters, malware scans, and phishing detectors in place. These tools block the bad stuff before it even hits your inbox, helping you dodge phishing tricks and dreadful malware.
  
• Enable multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security mechanism that adds an additional verification step to your email account, requiring a separate code that is sent to your mobile phone, or through a security token. This makes it much more difficult for someone without permission to get into your account, even if they have your password.
  
• Adopt email encryption technologies: Email encryption technologies, like PGP or S/MIME, can encrypt your email messages so that only the intended recipient can read them. This protects sensitive information from interception and being compromised.

• Use Anonymous Email by VeePN: This feature allows creating fake email addresses that just redirect everything important to your real represented mail, protecting your emails from trying to be attacked by ransomware.

• Screen and block suspicious email operations: Frequently check your mail accounts for suspicious actions, such as abnormal login endeavors or huge files transfers. Set up alerts to notify you of any anomalies and take immediate action to block malicious senders and prevent ransomware infections. Using VeePN’s Breach Alert can help you take an immediate action by notifying you when your email addresses are compromised.
  

6. Limit user permission

Limiting user access can significantly improve your ransomware security, which is why you need to do this: 

• Apply the principle of least privilege: Grant users the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job roles. This helps to limit the potential damage that can be caused by a security breach.  For example, if a user only needs to read emails, they should not be granted permission to send or delete them.
  
• Create role-based access controls (RBAC): Give different people different access based on their job. This way, they only see what they need to do their work. For example, the person who manages the system might see everything, but other employees might only see their own emails and files.
  
• Regularly audit and update user permissions: Routinely audit and upgrade client authorization permissions. This makes a difference to recognize and get rid of sketchy sign-ins. For example, if a user leaves the organization, their access should be revoked immediately.
  
• Disable unnecessary administrative accounts: Disable any administrative accounts that are no longer needed. This helps to reduce the number of potential targets for attackers. If a user is no longer an administrator, their administrative privileges should be removed.

7. Use VPN

Using a virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best ways to prevent ransomware attacks because VPN apps commonly offer:

• Encryption: All your data will turn into an unreadable gibberish that hackers won’t be able to decipher without a special decryption key. 
• Malware blocking: The majority of reputable VPN services offer this feature so that your devices don’t infect your network with ransomware and other malicious apps while remaining safeguarded. 
• Anonymous browsing: Since your Internet traffic gets encrypted and goes through a remote server, you can browse the web without any tracking and anyone spying on you. 

While free VPN applications may seem appealing, they often lack reliable encryption standards and, alarmingly, nearly 90% sell user data to third parties. To ensure your online privacy and security, we strongly recommend investing in a premium VPN service like VeePN. Let’s delve into the reasons why VeePN can be your ideal anti-ransomware solution.

How VeePN enhances ransomware protection

VeePN offers comprehensive security features:

• AES 256-bit encryption: Military-grade data protection that is considered the most reliable encryption technology so far.
• No Logs policy: We won’t collect any of your personal information for commercial purposes. 
• Integrated antivirus. VeePN offers a full-fledged antivirus for Windows and Android devices
• Wide device compatibility: You’ll be able to ensure ransomware protection across all major platforms using one subscription for up to 10 devices. 
• NetGuard: This feature will block all malware and pop-up ads to protect your network. 

VeePN can shield you from various security threats. In addition to the goodies we’ve mentioned, VeePN offers Alternative ID service for protecting your privacy online. Download VeePN right now and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee!

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.

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