04-Mar-2021
Encryption on computers with the aim of extortion happens since around 30 years. Companies that have to deal with a ransomware attack also to deal with data breaches, loss, of course, costly business downtime and recovery efforts. Increasingly, there are police and legal consequences - for attackers.
For more than 30 years, ransomware has been one of the "most popular" types of attack. Today, many mails are circulating with the sheer threat of DDoS attacks, which only a ransom payment can prevent. You can read more about these RDDoS in the article "". Ransomware is also extorted by threatening data compromise. The concern here is that data would be made public if payment is not made, which can be critical, especially if reputational damage is imminent, but a payment can never include a guarantee that data would be restored or that the ransomware would be deleted.
Why SMEs and administrations fall victim to ransomware attacks
Small businesses, administrations or research institutions often have no or very small IT departments that could deal with cybersecurity. In this age of remote work and home offices, file sharing and working remotely on organizational networks are potential vulnerabilities that can make it easy for attackers. When business capability is threatened, smaller institutions in particular feel compelled to pay up quickly - assuming they can quickly regain access to their mission-critical, sensitive data and information and keep the compromise a secret.
How is ransomware spread?
Often, organizations are attacked via USB and removable media (lack of interface control), exploit kits, zero-day exploits, email (via spam), so-called malvertising (harmless-seeming Internet advertising executes / reloads malicious code) - or, particularly perfidious, as a service (affiliates).
How you can protect yourself against Ransomware
In the event of an attack, you should definitely file a criminal complaint with the relevant authorities. They are quite successful as the case of the ransomware group Egrego, whose members were arrested thanks to the cooperation of Ukrainian and French law enforcement agencies shows.
We advise companies and organizations such as government agencies to make regular backups of their systems and data. Store them on different media, placed in different locations.
Comprehensive protection for all endpoints in your organization offers a secure browser solution that includes a shielded virtualized browser for accessing external websites. Web Application Firewalls prevent your websites from becoming a gateway for ransomware, and set up VPN access for employees.
Ransomware is difficult for non-experts to detect, which is why you should rely on various protection mechanisms. One important means of protection is employee training. To do this, we recommend regularly reading and attending our webinars. Employees who know that ransomware exists are naturally better able to identify attacks.
Press & media contact
Uwe GreunkeResponsible for Marketing, Division Networks & Cybersecurity
uwe.greunke@rohde-schwarz.com
Rohde & Schwarz
Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company's leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. The privately owned, Munich based company can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Rohde & Schwarz generated net revenue of EUR 2.78 billion in the 2022/2023 fiscal year (July to June). On June 30, 2023, Rohde & Schwarz had around 13,800 employees worldwide.
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Networks & Cybersecurity
With its subsidiaries LANCOM Systems, Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, and Rohde & Schwarz SIT, the group has bundled its expertise in one division. Know-how that is needed to become the largest provider of network and cybersecurity technology for companies, public authorities, and organizations in Europe.
