Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    10 Tips for Companies to Avoid and Stop Ransomware

    By
    Chris Preimesberger
    -
    April 26, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      PrevNext

      110 Tips for Companies to Avoid and Stop Ransomware

      1 - 10 Tips for Companies to Avoid and Stop Ransomware

      We offer tips on how companies can avoid being infected by ransomware and how those who do fall victim can stop and mitigate damage from an attack.

      2Back Up Your Files

      2 - Back Up Your Files

      It’s simple, it’s obvious and it directly addresses the purpose of the scam in the first place: If you already have up-to-date copies of all your files, there’s no reason to pay the ransom to get them back. With services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and Box, that can instantly back up files to the cloud, there is no reason companies should not have immediate back-ups.

      3Keep Your Malware and Detection Software Up-To-Date

      3 - Keep Your Malware and Detection Software Up-To-Date

      Your detection systems are only as good as what they know, and with ransomware constantly morphing and changing signatures, keeping these applications up-to-date is critical. Mac users should make sure to automatically update XProtect. Windows people should be sure to update their endpoint protection software, antivirus and so on. There’s nothing worse than being infected by a known threat that could have been stopped.

      4Keep Adobe Products Up-to-Date

      4 - Keep Adobe Products Up-to-Date

      New ransomware attacks leveraging outdated versions of Adobe Systems products like Flash and Reader have led the company to push emergency updates for Windows, Mac OS X, Chrome and Linux-based computers. Flash Player is the most recent to be targeted; anyone with Flash Player installed on any computing device is urged to install the update immediately to avoid infection by the file-encrypting malware.

      5Use Multiple Security Products

      5 - Use Multiple Security Products

      Ransomware authors test their code against antivirus products, email filters and endpoint detection products to maximize the chance that they get through. While buying every detection solution isn’t likely practical, having multiple detection systems increases the chances of detection before the infection can happen.

      6Disable Macros by Default in Microsoft Office

      6 - Disable Macros by Default in Microsoft Office

      Macros are an advanced feature in Microsoft Office that most people have no need to use or think about. But their ability to execute tasks within Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents that flow freely in and out of most inboxes—and are often opened without a second thought—make them a powerful tool for hackers. Microsoft has taken steps to minimize this threat by adding a new feature in Office 2016 to block macros from loading in certain scenarios. If your company has little or no use for macros, it would be smart to take advantage of this feature.

      7Get Alerts When Known Ransomware File Extensions Are Detected

      7 - Get Alerts When Known Ransomware File Extensions Are Detected

      This post on Spiceworks includes a list of known ransomware file extensions. While this doesn’t actually stop files from being encrypted and doesn’t stop the infection from spreading, you can at least get an alert when ransomware is starting to spread so you can quickly take steps to stop it.

      8Automatically Quarantine Files With Known Ransomware File Extensions

      8 - Automatically Quarantine Files With Known Ransomware File Extensions

      Some antivirus applications will allow you to write rules to automatically quarantine files matching a certain file extension. There’s no reason not to do this as a means for stopping known threats.

      9Implement a Security Orchestration and Automation Solution

      9 - Implement a Security Orchestration and Automation Solution

      Security orchestration and automation tools that are able to investigate every cyber alert and remediate malicious activities can shut down ransomware before it is too late. Even when ransomware is able to make it past email filters, antivirus—and a user clicks a link in an email to download the malicious files— these tools are able to kill processes, quara

      10Try a Ransomware Password Generator

      10 - Try a Ransomware Password Generator

      Chances of being able to unlock encrypted files are fairly low, but it’s worth a try. Security researcher Leostone has a tool that creates the password needed to unlock Petya encrypted files. You’ll need to remove the startup drive and connect it to a non-infected Windows PC, grab some specific bits of data to plug into this app and craft your password.

      11Pull the Plug on Everything

      11 - Pull the Plug on Everything

      When Lukas Hospital in Germany learned it was being attacked by ransomware, admins decided to “pull the plug on everything,” cutting off Internet connectivity and shutting down all systems. Combining fast action and the availability of backed-up data, reportedly 85 percent of the hospital’s operations were able to continue as normal after the attack. However, as most ransomware is persistent—running even after a reboot and not needing an Internet connection once installed, this is a last option at best—and in most cases, not feasible.

      PrevNext
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×