Suppose ransomware or an encryption trojan gets onto your device. In that case, it locks your operating system or encrypts your data, getting hold of a digital hostage such as files and demanding a ransom to restore control to you. Currently, ransomware infections occur in various ways, including spam emails, software downloads, and insecure and fraudulent websites. The attacks leave victims in situations where they must pay horrendous sums of money for the possible release of their files and systems.

In case you are wondering if you are a potential target of a ransomware attack, there are a number of  ways you can get infected, including the use of devices with outdated software, running unpatched operating systems and browsers, lacking proper backup plans, and not paying sufficient attention to cybersecurity measures. The annual Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Cybersecurity Survey suggests nearly 70 percent of Canadian organizations facing a ransomware attack last year paid the demands to avoid downtime, reputational damage, and other costs. The survey further reveals that one-quarter or more of organizations that suffered a ransomware attack were damaged in terms of recovery costs, loss of revenue and customers, or reputational damage.

Fortunately, you can reduce the likelihood of finding yourself in front of an infected computer or encrypted file by being prepared. In fact, it is possible to significantly reduce the chances of infection by implementing the following controls and best practices. So, as we wrap up Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are our top 7 ways to prevent ransomware attacks.

Undoubtedly, technology has evolved at a rapid pace over the past several decades and continues to do so. But some legacy machines that may be unfairly viewed as obsolete still hold tremendous value in today’s marketplace.

Enter IBM i – a family of mid-range computers that has gone through many name changes during the course of its lifetime.

As the image below illustrates: The evolution of IBM i began in the late 1970’s with the AS/400 (Application System/400) being introduced in 1988 as the successor of the previous two models.

“If security were all that mattered, computers would never be turned on, let alone hooked into a network with literally millions of potential intruders.” - Dan Farmer, Cyber Security Analyst, Researcher, Programmer

Cyber threats are an inevitable risk constantly within our orbit in various forms and degrees of sophistication. Organizations of all sizes are prone to an attack at some point - but the severity of the attack and the time it takes to recover from one, all starts from within: Organizational policy review, revision, and enforcement.

As technology has continued to evolve, the importance of cloud computing has too. According to Flexera’s 2021 State of the Cloud Report, investing in cloud is steadily on the rise in 2021. Businesses of all sizes are reaping the immense benefits of cloud adoption. From SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) to Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) – the ability to be more agile, innovative and reach customers in multiple ways has enabled businesses to significantly streamline operations and improve overall customer engagement.

“The knock-on effect of a data breach can be devastating for a company. When customers start taking their business—and their money—elsewhere, that can be a real body blow.” – Christopher Graham

In January 2021, we witnessed the largest ransomware demand in history: the $50 million ransom demand from Acer by REvil gang. Although the actual amount paid will be considerably less then the original demand it is still extremely lucrative for cybercrimals.

2020 brought unprecedented global changes and cyber security was no exception. From the widescale shift to remote working triggered by the pandemic, to the record-high cryptocurrency prices, to one of the worst cyber attacks of all time. The tools and tactics we started with in 2020 are no match for the threat landscape of 2021.

“If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too. Criminals are using every technology tool at their disposal to hack into people’s accounts. If they know there’s a key hidden somewhere, they won’t stop until they find it.” Tim Cook

In the game of cat and mouse between data security and bad actors, extended detection and response (XDR) is the latest weapon that organizations can utilize to strengthen their security posture.

XDR is a new approach to threat detection and response, a key element in defending an organization’s infrastructure and data from damage or unauthorized access and misuse. 

As businesses continue to evolve with the rapid advances in technology, the role of the Cloud continues to play a pivotal role in the delivery of flexible, agile IT services. Hybrid IT, also known as the hybrid cloud, is essentially a combination of a private cloud foundation with the strategic use of public cloud services to fulfil the requirements of an organization's entire IT enviroment. 

Among the many priorities businesses are positioning themselves for in 2021, network and data security remain at the top of the list as 'anywhere operations' becomes more rampant in an era of rapid digital transformation. With the current state of times, external attacks have become more sophisticated with the pandemic being a channel to lure unsuspecting users in. Organizations must make every effort to start the year off right and ensure their networks are protected from modern hacking practices. 

As we look ahead to 2021 (and continue to navigate through a global pandemic), organizations of any size are faced with two major challenges: data protection and cyber security. Modern data and analytics have steadily become the ‘gold’ in the era of continuous technological innovation.

According to a recent report from the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), approximately 68% of organizations use data stored on a secondary server for more than just recovery. A recent survey conducted by the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) asked C-level IT professionals what their top data protection concerns were.