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Ransomware Protection
Ransomware Protection is More Critical Than Ever
As data becomes ever more critical to the global marketplace, cyber criminals are working harder than ever to steal it. Ransomware attacks that exploit our dependence on data continue to increase in volume and severity. For organizations today, the critical question is no longer “Will we be the victim of a ransomware attack?” but rather “When we are attacked, will our ransomware protection be effective?”
Ensuring successful ransomware protection requires a cyber resilient approach to data protection that leverages the latest intelligent tools and data protection solutions and services. That’s why a growing number of organizations today are turning to Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery for proven technology that can isolate critical data, identify suspicious activity, and accelerate recovery of known good data to ensure business continuity.
The Challenge of Ransomware Protection
The ability to deliver ransomware protection has become increasingly difficult as ransomware attacks have moved beyond the desktop/laptop vector. Ransomware attacks today play out across the entire IT infrastructure, targeting all forms of data and requiring a more robust response. In addition to solutions for preventing attacks, organizations need response and data recovery plans that can quickly bring information back online.
Recovery after an attack requires a clean copy of data that’s uninfected by ransomware. To ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of critical data in the event of a ransomware or other cyber-attack, more companies today are seeking technology that can support data isolation strategies. This approach to data protection involves maintaining a copy of important data production and backup networks, and isolating it via an operational air gap. This type of approach to ransomware protection can help to avoid tampering, destruction and corruption of data and speed successful recovery after an attack.
Understanding the Anatomy of Ransomware Attacks
To develop the best ransomware protection, it's crucial to understand the anatomy of ransomware attacks. Ransomware is not just a single type of malware but a category of malicious software that can take various forms. Some common types include:
- Crypto ransomware: Encrypts valuable files on a computer so the user cannot access them.
- Locker ransomware: Locks the user out of their device, asking for a ransom to unlock it.
- Doxware: Threatens to release sensitive information unless a ransom is paid.
Achieve Ransomware Protection with Dell Technologies
PowerProtect Cyber Recovery delivers superior ransomware protection by providing physical and logical isolation of critical data within a dedicated vault. PowerProtect Cyber Recovery also leverages machine learning and intelligent analytics within the vault to identify suspicious activity and enable recovery of known good data in order to quickly resume business operations.
PowerProtect Cyber Recovery ensures ransomware protection through five essential steps.
- Data representing critical applications is synced through the air gap, which is unlocked by the management server residing in the vault, and replicated into the vault target storage. The air gap is then re-locked
- A copy of that data is made. Vault retention is configurable but most keep about a month's worth of copies
- The data is retention locked to further protect it from accidental or intentional deletion or ransomware for example
- The data is optionally analyzed by our analytics engine, CyberSense (more on that later).
- Recovering data from the vault in the event of a ransomware or cyberattack or simply for recovery testing procedures is critical and there are a number of ways recovery can be performed.
Features of Dell Technologies Ransomware Protection
PowerProtect Cyber Recovery is built on several key technologies.
Cyber Recovery vault.
The PowerProtect Cyber Recovery vault isolates critical data away from the attack surface and physically and logically separating it in a protected part of the data center or in a cloud or Multicloud environment. The vault is further isolated and protected with an operational air gap avoiding management interfaces that could be compromised. Synchronization of data between production systems is automated and controlled from the Cyber Recovery vault – the vault preserves the original integrity of the data via immutable copies protected by retention lock.
CyberSense.
When a ransomware attack penetrates the data center, CyberSense helps to find data corruption. This innovative technology uses machine learning to analyze more than 200 content-based statistics, identifying signs of potential ransomware or other corruption with up to 99.5% confidence.
Automated recovery.
PowerProtect Cyber Recovery automates restore and recovery procedures to bring systems back online quickly after an attack.
Dell Technologies Ransomware Protection Services
To improve ransomware protection, Dell Advisory and Implementation Services can help to accelerate cyber resiliency planning, development of a cyber resilience strategy and deploy ransomware protection or Cyber Recovery solutions. Advisory Services focus on providing recommendations for integrating and optimizing recovery within a data environment. Implementation Services help to integrate PowerProtect Cyber Recovery into a data protection environment while tailoring the solution to the exact needs of your organization.
Our services include:
- Creating a minimum viable company in the cyber recovery vault that can be trusted to ensure recovery of essential business functions after a ransomware attack.
- Providing recommendations on recovery strategy and integration points with plans for organization-wide incident response.
- Helping to integrate a recovery solution that recognizes the full range of threat vectors and that is aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
- Developing and testing recovery plans and procedures.
Ransomware in Cyber Security: The Growing Threat
Ransomware in cyber security has become one of the most significant threats in recent years. With the rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, cybercriminals have found an anonymous way to demand ransoms, making the crime more appealing. The impact of a ransomware cyberattack can be devastating, leading to loss of critical data, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation. Ransomware protection best practices involve a combination of preventive measures, employee training, and robust backup solutions.
Enterprise-Level Ransomware Protection: Safeguarding Critical Assets
In the enterprise landscape, the stakes are higher. Large businesses often manage vast amounts of sensitive data, making them prime targets for ransomware attacks. Enterprise ransomware protection isn't just about safeguarding individual devices but ensuring the entire infrastructure is resilient against threats. This involves:
Centralized threat management:
Implementing a centralized system that monitors and manages threats across the organization.
Multi-layered defense strategy:
Using a combination of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and advanced threat protection tools to create multiple layers of defense.
Data segmentation:
Dividing critical data into segments, ensuring that if one segment is compromised, others remain unaffected.
Ransomware Protection for Business Continuity
For enterprises, a ransomware attack can halt operations, leading to significant financial losses. Business ransomware protection focuses on ensuring that, post-attack, operations can resume with minimal downtime. This involves:
- Regularly scheduled backups: Ensuring that all critical business data is backed up at regular intervals.
- Disaster recovery planning: Having a clear plan in place detailing the steps to take in the event of a ransomware attack.
- Cloud-based ransomware protection: Utilizing cloud solutions that offer real-time backup and quick data recovery options.
Ransomware Protection FAQs
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Ransomware is a form of malicious software, or malware. When downloaded to a computer or server, ransomware can block access to data and files on the device until a ransom is paid. Ransomware programs often use encryption to prevent victims from accessing their data, providing an encryption key only after a ransom has been received.
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Combating ransomware effectively involves at least two layers of protection. Organizations need technology that prevents ransomware attacks by blocking threats and educating employees about best practices for cyber security. And organizations need solutions that can speed the recovery of data backups after a successful attack while ensuring that the backup copy of data is uninfected by ransomware.
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Large businesses should adopt a multi-layered defense strategy, regularly update and patch systems, segment critical data, and invest in enterprise-grade ransomware protection solutions.
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Data protection ensures that even if a ransomware attack occurs, the enterprise can recover its critical data without paying a ransom. It's a crucial component of ransomware protection, ensuring business continuity.
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Enterprises can protect backups from ransomware by isolating backup environments, using encryption, regularly testing backup integrity, and employing cloud-based solutions with real-time backup capabilities.
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Best practices include centralized threat management, data segmentation, regular employee training, strict access controls, and investing in advanced ransomware protection tools tailored for enterprise needs.
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Ransomware protection ensures that businesses can quickly recover from attacks, minimizing downtime. By safeguarding data and ensuring its quick recovery, enterprises can maintain their operations even in the face of threats.
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In the context of cyber security, ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid.
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To protect backups from ransomware, ensure they are isolated from the main network, use encryption, and regularly test backups for integrity and reliability.
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