Page 28 - Security Today, November 2017

CYBER SECURITY
HELD HOSTAGE Ransomware: How to stop it once and for all
By David Wagner
Ransomware attacks are becoming infa- mous. As I write now, the Petya attack is unfolding. And in May, the world was hit with WannaCry, an attack that affected computers in more than 150 countries. The wormlike virus moved into unprotected
Windows servers that didn’t contain a critical patch, encrypt- ing files with a ransom of $300 in bitcoin from users. Within its relatively short life span, WannaCry infiltrated more than 100,000 computers, including those in U.K. hospital systems, telecom businesses in Spain and corporations in Asia.
The scariest part of the attack isn’t how many computers it compromised or how many countries it was found in, but rather the fact that older operating systems—many of which are still in wide circulation and use—gave little protection against it.
The virus itself wasn’t handcrafted by a single individual, nor was it the brainchild of a group of hackers. It was actually stolen from the National Security Agency. Shortly after reports came in about the theft, Microsoft released a security update to patch the same vulnerability that the WannaCry ransomware—and likely Petya as well—took advantage of.
Ransomware attacks are not new, and they’re not going to stop anytime soon. Now that hackers can monetize their actions and make hundreds of thousands of dollars in a few days, they’ll continue to look for weak spots in software and corporate secu- rity policies to exploit.
Like any other disease, curing this type of virus begins with awareness. It’s not enough to just include the one patch that stops the Petya and WannaCry viruses. It’s not enough to do the bare minimum. Businesses have to change their mindsets and become aware of their own vulnerabilities. They need to take ownership of them and work to strengthen the places that hackers could potentially exploit.
Owning the Problem
The only real action any business can take to prevent these at- tacks is to put in place a strategic information security risk man- agement framework to address evolving threats. That means cre- ating policies for backups or finding a new, agile way to control and protect your business information. It requires policies that are made for a specific business, its employees, and its unique en- vironment—taking everything into consideration.
As long as vulnerabilities and opportunities for hacking exist, the ransomware business model will continue to affect thousands of businesses all over the globe. According to the FBI, ransom-
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ware attacks quadrupled between 2015 and 2016. And there’s no indication that this will slow anytime soon—unless businesses de- cide to drastically shrink the market by implementing policies to protect themselves.
There are three ways businesses can effectively close the mar- ket for ransomware attacks. Some of them are time-consuming, and others are expensive, but the benefits significantly outweigh the risk of having business information stolen by hackers.
Implement an upgrade policy. This is the obvious starting point for many companies. It’s relatively easy to implement but could end up being the one thing that saves a business from bankruptcy. When ransomware attackers encrypt files and send their ransom notes, they promise the safe return of data upon a specified pay- ment. But they don’t always follow through.
What happens if a business pays the ransom but doesn’t re- ceive its data back? The consequences could be catastrophic. Im- plementing an upgrade policy protects a business’s future while simultaneously preventing attacks like Petya and WannaCry by patching software vulnerabilities.
Only use supported software. Today, there is no shortage of free software. There’s a reason the phrase “there’s an app for that” exists. Businesses will often go find these free or inexpensive prod- ucts and justify it by exclaiming the cost benefits. However, when that software is then the cause of a malicious attack, the cost benefits don’t outweigh the risks.
Identify your greatest risk. Email remains the top attack vec- tor, and ensuring its security should be a top priority. Secure email gateways are a great way to prevent malicious software from en- tering your network. Those gateways shouldn’t rely on only sig- natures to protect email. Not all malicious attacks can be caught by these signatures. Instead, secure email gateways should look at the content in the email, including URLs and attachments, in addition to signature-based screening.
Ransomware attacks on businesses have far-reaching implica- tions. The only way to stop these attacks is for businesses, non- profits, and other organizations to work diligently to create poli- cies that make it substantially more difficult for hackers to find vulnerabilities they can exploit.
David Wagner is the president and chief executive officer at Zix. 1117 | NETWORKING SECURITY
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