Ransomware: Plug the gaps in your defence strategy

By Richard Dornhart, National Security Practice Mananger, Data^#3

[Reading time: 1 min]

Dealing with ransomware is becoming increasingly common for companies and individuals. In an alarming trend, Australia is on the hotlist for cybercriminals. In fact, the recent Symantec Internet Security Threat report recognises that there was a 141% increase in ransomware attacks in Australia in 2015!

Sadly, the cost of dealing with ransomware is becoming greater. According to geek.com, just one ransomware application generated over US$30 million in a short time for criminals. As experts make clear, cybercrime is highly profitable, which means it’s likely to continue and grow.

If you consider that human beings are the most vulnerable link in your security chain, IT Security professionals need to look at technology solutions that can plug potential gaps in your defence strategy. At a basic level, you must

• ensure you have a proper backup regime with offline storage,
• investigate solutions that inspect and block devices that do not meet your standard, and
• ensure you have an all-encompassing contenting filtering solution for web and email.

For further reading, check out this article on securitybrief.com.au. It’s a good read for every user as it details ten basic rules that you can adopt to keep your networks, application and files safe from ransomware.

If you would like to discuss your organisations approach to security, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.