Every business has its own set of priorities. But regardless of the size of the business or the industry it’s in, all are subject to the dangers that cyber threats pose. This is especially the case when it comes to ransomware. However, considering the widespread and sporadic nature of these types of attacks, it can be difficult for businesses to know what steps they should take in the event of a potential breach.
Below are some important steps businesses can take to navigate these threats while minimizing the long-term damage they can bring.
Stay on the Lookout for Early Signs
Ransomware attacks can happen suddenly and catch many businesses off guard. This can then quickly cause panic, especially for organizations that don’t have adequate procedures in place to address the malware effectively.
However, while often the attack may seem like it came out of nowhere, the reality is that most attackers may leave behind subtle clues on a network foreshadowing a potential attack long before it actually takes place.
One of the common red flags to look out for is unusual network activity, typically found after hours, weekends, or any other non-core hour time frames. Typically, attackers will launch reconnaissance on their targets when they’re least likely to run across administrators who can notice their activities, so it’s important to regularly check network logs and monitoring solutions to look for this behavior.
It’s also important to remember that during a ransomware attack, you don’t have to be the intended victim to become impacted. For example, if your data is stored with an outside party, you may still have to deal with the negative consequences of inadequate security protocols or data protection outside of your control. This is why it’s critical to have a thorough third-party risk management program in place when establishing new partnerships.
Quarantine the Attack Site
When faced with a ransomware attack, time is of the essence. The faster you’re able to respond, the less likely you’ll experience major downtime for your business. Because ransomware is designed to spread as quickly as possible, the faster you can spot and isolate the attack, the less it will be able to impact critical systems.
Having various security quarantining initiatives in place can help to limit the amount of impact the malware has on connected databases or systems. This can be accomplished by segmenting business networks into various isolated zones, helping to create digital walls around external entry points.
Taking these precautions ahead of time can help security management teams to get the breathing room they need to address the issue while core business systems are still up and running.
Understand Your Legal Obligations
While slowing down operations and damaging critical systems are both common side effects of ransomware, it’s important to remember that dealing with technical issues is only part of the ransomware battle. There may also be certain legal or regulatory requirements associated with a breach that businesses also need to adhere to.
Most industries have a range of guidelines in place for businesses when handling sensitive data. If that data ever becomes compromised, an organization could be at risk of paying various financial penalties or even suffering legal action.
To ensure that your business is taking the necessary precautions when establishing data management systems while also following any industry guidelines, stay on top of any relevant compliance frameworks in your operations. This ensures that all supporting systems are in alignment with best industry practices and standards and can help to minimize data exposure in the event of a successful breach.
Work With Professional Security Services
Considering the speed at which modern security threats are advancing, it’s important for businesses to have the cybersecurity expertise at their disposal to help defend against them. Unfortunately, however, many businesses don’t have adequate resources to manage their own internal security teams. This is where working with outside professional security services can help.
Outsourcing various elements of cybersecurity gives businesses immediate access to highly trained security personnel and advanced technologies to help them better secure their operations. Hiring dedicated Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) or penetration testing services ensures that businesses are always prepared in the event of a major security incident and have access to the necessary tools to recover their systems successfully.
Evaluate Your Recovery Options
A critical element of sustaining your operations over the long term is to have a clear disaster recovery plan in place. This ensures that regardless of whether your business is targeted during a cyberattack or systems are taken offline due to a natural disaster, you’re still able to recover them effectively.
You should be maintaining regular backups of all your critical systems and storing them in both on-premise and off-site (cloud-based) locations. This ensures you’ll have clean data to work with in the event your current systems become compromised.
Make sure you’re working with your security partnerships in advance to plan out appropriate recovery efforts if and when they’re required. Your security teams will also be able to walk you through various recovery options your business has and help you to gauge which efforts will be most valuable to your organization based on its needs.
Prepare Now to Avoid Becoming a Victim Later
Businesses should always respect the dangers that ransomware threats pose to their business. By remaining aware of the risks and taking steps now to prepare your systems and improve your cybersecurity posture, you’ll ensure you’re able to recover from an attack successfully and minimize any potential damage caused.
Author Bio:
Nazy Fouladirad is President and COO of Tevora, a global leading cybersecurity consultancy. She has dedicated her career to creating a more secure business and online environment for organizations across the country and world. She is passionate about serving her community and acts as a board member for a local nonprofit organization.
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