10 Simple Step to Protect Against Ransomware, Including Cryptolocker Part 1

The cases of ransomware attacks are becoming ordinary daily as numerous businesses today have encountered these attacks. Ransomware is malicious software that hackers or cyber criminals misuse to get access to companies' confidential documents or computers for ransom. To give back entrance to the owner, these criminals demand payment. These ransomware attacks can be in varied forms to affect the machine of a company; however, there are specific considerations that businesses should follow to safeguard their businesses from being attacked by ransomware or crypto locker. 

• Keep The Backup of Your Business Data Aside  

The most significant consideration to ensure the protection of your business data from ransomware is to get an updated backup of your business files and data regularly. Generally, ransomware attacks affect businesses by snatching control of the data from its actual owner. Thus, when your machine gets into a ransomware attack, you may get your lost files and business data quickly if they are backed up. Talking about Cryptolocker, it can encrypt business files saved on the drives that it maps. The mapping can even be done on external drives like USD drives, cloud files or any other network connected to that machine. Therefore, consider taking a daily backup regimen to the backup service or any external drive, which should not be assigned to any drive letter or disconnected after the completion of the backup. 

• Display Hidden File-Extensions  

The most familiar passage from where the crypto locker quickly enters the file is from the file extension like pdf.exe, considering the default behaviour of Windows to hide common file extensions. So, by re-enabling the feature to display file extensions, you can easily spot malicious files. 

• Filter Exes In Your Email  

If you are a person who uses a gateway email scanner, then you must be aware of its power of file filtration by its extensions. So, the last email will be executable when you want to disallow emails sent by EXE files and emails sent along with files with dual file extensions. So, when you legitimately want to send those executable files in your business environment, there is a refusal on emails. EXE files, then you should use Zip files or use cloud services. 

• Disable Local AppData or AppData Folders’ Files 

Using Intrusion Prevention software or Windows, you can quickly develop rules to prevent a particular behaviour marked by Cryptolocker that runs executable files from the local app or app data folders. So, when you have legitimate software which you understand is made to run not at a common area of Program Files but from the site of App Data, then you should not include it in new rules. 

• Take Help of Cryptolocker Prevention Kit  

The prevention kit for Cryptolocker is a third-tier solution made by the third tier which automates the Group Policy making process to inactivate files from Local App Data or App Data folders and prevent executable files that run on the Temp directory with multiple unzipping utilities. So, the kit is a modern technique to find out Cryptolocker. Moreover, a document will explain the entire process if you wish to add exemptions to the rules. 

These are 5 out of 10 essential considerations to protect your business data from Cryptolocker and ransomware attacks. To learn more about the remaining considerations, read our next article. 10 Simple Steps To Protect Against Ransomware, Including Cryptolocker Part 2 

 

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