We use the Internet Everyday, almost mechanically. We check emails, we enter the work apps, we talk to friends, we pay bills. But we rarely stop thinking about what this constant connection really means: that each move leaves digital traces – and that behind ease, there is risk.
Recently, ransomware attacks have increased rapidly. It is a kind of malicious software that invades our computer or network, locks the files and asks for ransom to unlock them. It is not theoretical – it is a scenario that has been hit by large businesses to ordinary users who just opened a suspicious attached file.
The truth is that there are steps that can make the difference, so much before as well as afterthe attack. The point is to know what to look out for, where to turn for help and – mainly – not panic. Because in the world of cyber security, calmness and prevention are the best “antibiotics”.
According to Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 by IBMthe average cost of a ransomware attack is $ 4.91 million. This amount can be significantly increased, depending on whether or not the law enforcement authorities are involved. Beyond the immediate financial weight, the recovery process from such an attack It can take days, months or even years. This duration depends on factors such as the durability of the perpetrator threat and the readiness of the cyber security team.
Managing the recovery and the costs that accompany it are serious challenges – and can become even more problematic when a business decides to pay ransom. In these cases, it is based on the goodwill of the perpetrator to provide the decryption key.
Playing this probability game, businesses often end up looking at the “debris” of their political cyber security failures.
But what would happen if there was a way to deal with this expensive and destructive fraud?
A critical landscape for businesses of all sizes
Due to the ever -evolving nature of Ransomware, as well as the involvement of government agencies, the landscape of digital threats remains particularly unfavorable to small and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs), businesses in general and state infrastructure. The ransomware display rate continues to grow, now representing 23% of all violations, according to Verizon.
The situation is even more difficult for small and medium -sized enterprises, which have limited cyber security funds. The Media are a stable target for ransomware bodies. Characteristics, in Asia and the Pacific, the ESET World Safety Software Company found that 1 in 4 attacks against media was ransomware attack.
The most effective defense against ransomware is, above all,, prevention.
ESET recognizes the importance of prevention as the first and foremost step for the success of cyber security. This is confirmed by the ESET MDR success storiespresented at ETEC 2024. There, ESET security teams managed to stop Mallox Ransomware in its early stages before it can cause any damage.
On the other hand, businesses that do not prioritize prevention as a key pillar of their defense strategy are called upon to abandon the choice of criminal assisted recovery – that is, the payment of ransom – and to focus on improving regular rehabilitation.
Typical Ransomware Recovery: A Lost Battle?
There are mainly three ways of reaction In a ransomware attack:
- Reset systems from backups
- Waiting for the publication of the decryption key, which is often provided by cyber security researchers
- Paying ransom, hoping that the decryption key will be provided
The problem is that all these approaches have disadvantages.
Backups are considered the second best choice after prevention. They are a valuable tool for restoring systems to a previous, stable state – either after malicious software attack, or after failed update, or when moving to a new device.
Are, in other wordsa way to “turn time back”.
However, even when properly settled, backups do not guarantee the full preservation of all data. There may be losses, either due to omissions when creating them, or due to simultaneous contamination of copy files.
Another approach is Awaiting to publish decryption keys.Security researchers such as those involved in the initiative No More Ransom(including ESET), work intensively to analyze malware. However, this process requires a lot of time and know -how. Thus, for recovery purposes, a business may wait for months or even years, with its systems locked.
OR Official setting up of security entities is the non -payment of ransom. However, in extreme despair situations, some companies choose to pay, hoping they will receive the necessary key. If this decision is taken, it is crucial to be under the supervision of the law enforcement authorities and in consultation with cyber security insurers, both for the sake of responsibility and for the proper recording of actions.
If we could turn time back (for ransomware)
Although backups are undoubtedly critical for the recovery of a cyberattack business, they can at the same time be a goal of malicious activities.
The lower the chance that a business will return to its normal operation, the greater the chance of paying ransom to restore its systems.
To one recent incidentESET’s MDR team identified a threatening factor that tried to exploit a vulnerability in backup and recovery software to delete the backups. Corresponding tactics are widely adopted by cybercriminals, with the aim of destroying or encrypting backups – A practice observed in 94% of ransomware incidents.
According to the data available, businesses that do not have sufficiently protected backups face over twice the cost of recovery compared to those that have shielded the copying process.
Each threat requires a personalized approachespecially as the tactics of the attackers evolve. Overall, ransomware may be highly sophisticated and annoying, but it can be effectively fought. Today, there are modern and reliable systems that incorporate detection and rehabilitation technologies, preventing threats before they manage to cause serious damage. These protection solutions combine precautionary measures with rehabilitation mechanisms, offering reliable protection against the most sophisticated ransomware attacks and ensuring that the data remains safe and intact, even in the event of malicious software.
And thanks to modern rehabilitation tools and safe backups, the “journey through time” for data rehabilitation is no longer science fiction.