Ransomware is one of the most notorious and harmful threats on the network, since, unlike other malicious programs, this type of attack is designed to operate stealthily until it achieves its objective. And what is the goal of this attack? Restricting a victim’s data until a ransom is paid for its recovery.
Ransomware attacks have evolved into more sophisticated forms over time and have the potential to be financially devastating, to the point of costing you your business.
It is necessary for any company or organization to understand multiple detection and recovery tactics from ransomware attacks to reduce the risks of a cyber-attack of this type.
Tools that prevent ransomware are built on detection techniques that master defense evasion and stealth functions of malware before it can cause damage.
In this article we present how to detect ransomware attack and the importance of early ransomware detection and the techniques used by anti-ransomware solutions.
The importance of early detection
Every online attack aims to cause harm, so early detection is essential. When you have the ability to detect an attack before it takes place, you can implement containment measures in order to prevent the hacker from achieving their objective.
Early detection is more crucial with ransomware than with other types of cyber attacks, since its ability to do damage is severe and in many instances, irreversible.
An attacker may refuse to restore access to your data even after paying the ransom, and as you can imagine, this damages your reputation with your customers and business partners; It is important to remember that hackers are never trustworthy.
That’s why it’s important to recognize and eliminate the attack before the hacker encrypts your data, because as ransomware attacks become more sophisticated, staying up to date with various ransomware detection techniques is more critical than ever.
Ransomware detection tactics
There are multiple ways to detect ransomware attacks on your system, as we already mentioned, these tips give you an advantage over the attacker trying to encrypt your data. Some common tactics include tracking your digital signature, monitoring system behavior, and detecting anomalies in your page traffic.
Digital signature detection
Digital signature detection is one of the best techniques to detect malware infections, since the classic malware program has electronic fingerprints such as domain names and file hashes embedded in its code that are unique to each particular malware.
When global security experts discover new malware, they store the fingerprint in a database of known attacks, and since multiple detection systems based on this type of signature monitor network traffic, they compare their shipping packages with this database. If security software detects a known threat signature, it recognizes it as malware and quarantines the file with the signature or simply deletes it.
Detection systems based on digital signatures are highly effective in multiple ways, the only problem with this mode of protection is that it only works against known attacks, when a new form of attack arises on day zero, it has no known signature, which which makes this form of protection ineffective.
Behavior-based detection
Instead of looking for digital signatures, behavior-based detection systems constantly check for anomalies. These systems analyze the behavior of software on your network to find and isolate sources of suspicious activity.
It is almost a norm that malware always has a behavior different from what should be seen in a normal flow of information on the network, this is what gives the guideline to behavior-based detection systems to define their lines of action and act based on what you perceive should be the usual behavior of a certain type of file on the network.
For example, when malware infects your system, it can open multiple files at once and modify them with an encrypted version, with a behavior-based detection system, any activity that deviates from the existing baseline is considered malicious.
Unlike signature-based detection, behavior-based detection can detect unknown threats and protect network elements and user devices in zero-day attacks (when malware enters the system for the first time).
Final thoughts
Ransomware is a growing threat and will continue to be a cause of concern for everyone who handles sensitive data on the network. Hackers are constantly updating themselves, looking for sophisticated ways to encrypt data to demand a ransom, so it is necessary for companies and organizations to learn how to avoid these types of attacks.
In most ransomware attacks, the attacker demands a transfer of cryptocurrency to a specific address; If you find yourself reading these types of messages on your computer screen, the damage has already been done.
One of the best ways to mitigate these types of threats is to detect them before any damage is done. Regardless of the size of your company, it is necessary to invest in anti-malware solutions that monitor your network for suspicious or malicious activity.
Also keep in mind the need to educate your employees about ransomware detection and the actions to take when they notice an email with suspicious links. Remember, most ransomware attacks occur because attackers use human error to compromise systems.
Early detection is crucial, but companies or organizations should also implement ransomware recovery protocols. Keep in mind that anyone can be a victim of ransomware attacks, therefore, it is necessary to implement a well-designed backup strategy as a contingency plan.
