![]() An organization is only as secure as its weakest link - one missed software update or successful phishing attempt can open the door to ransomware infection.Ĭybercriminals will take advantage of an organization’s ignorance about how to recover files from a ransomware attack. Just as important as investing in ransomware avoidance is understanding how best to respond to ransomware that encrypts already-encrypted files. Steps include creating an image backup (a single file of the operating system and all associated data) before data encryption and doing frequent backups (either on-premises or in the cloud). When it comes to the threat of ransomware encrypting already encrypted files, backup solutions provide a very important alternate access to the corrupted data. They include installing anti-virus software and firewalls, conducting security awareness training for employees, and maintaining software updates and patches. There are a number of basic, but necessary steps organizations should take to guard themselves against ransomware attacks. ![]() Once ransomware locks devices or files, an organization’s operations are disrupted, sensitive or proprietary data is at risk, and the damage to customer experiences and brand reputation begins to mount. No matter the method used, when ransomware is used to encrypt already-encrypted files, the impact can be swift and severe. ![]() ![]() This approach encrypts a device’s entire computer storage system, making all files inaccessible without having to encrypt each individually. This ransomware approach encrypts files on a computer or machine, making them unusable until they are unencrypted. There are two primary types of encryption that these ransomware attacks can exploit for profit: file encryption and device encryption. The bad guys can easily install their own lock on top of the organization’s encryption layer - and this malicious code would be encryption for which the targeted organization has no decryption key. It doesn’t matter if the data in the files had already been encrypted. The perpetrators of the ransomware attack will then demand that the organization pay them for the code required to decrypt the files. In many cases, a crypto-algorithm will then get to work encrypting files that the attacked organization likely uses often. They may also exploit software or attack network vulnerabilities to make their way in to install the ransomware. Cybercriminals gain access to a network - by getting users to click on a malicious email attachment or link, and by using stolen credentials. It’s important to understand how ransomware works. This so-called secondary encryption can prove very costly to undo for those who do not understand how to prevent and respond to such scenarios. Files that your organization has already encrypted can just as easily be encrypted (again) by ransomware. Still, encryption does not prevent ransomware exploits (though it can have the benefit of keeping data from being read and further exploited by ransomware attackers). That’s why data encryption is a cyber security best practice for organizations around the world, whether it’s to protect the loss or exposure of valuable information shared via email or to secure data traveling to, returning from or residing in the cloud. How Can Ransomware Encrypt Already-Encrypted Files?Ĭustomer information, financial or patient records, business plans and strategies, intellectual property - no organization wants its most sensitive and valuable data assets to fall into the wrong hands. It’s a threat even to already encrypted files or data, but one that savvy organizations can work to minimize and respond to without paying off the bad guys. One of the most common ransomware approaches involves encrypting the target organization’s files, thereby locking its users out of them. In fact, nearly two thirds of organizations (61%) were hit by a ransomware attack in 2020, according to Mimecast’s State of Email Security report. Cyber incidents involving ransomware - a type of malware used to hold an organization’s files hostage - have surged over the last year.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |