Ransomware attacks, particularly government focused, are on
a rise. The recent cyberattack on the city of Baltimore’s government is a clear
example of this. It took the city months to recover from this attack.
The attack used some sort of the latest ransomware virus known
as Robin Hood, which is considered unbreakable and is very deadly.
These attacks are not the first and surely there would be
many in the future, so it is best to be prepared beforehand before it is too
late.
5 Tips to Prevent
Government Ransomware Attacks
There is still some hope left. More and more local
governments are restoring operations without paying the ransom by simply
implementing a ransomware resistant backup before the attack.
Following are certain strategies and tips which can be used
to help achieve a ransomware resistant backup and gain protection against ransomware
attacks.
1. Different OS of Backup Appliance
Many government agencies and governments, in general, use a
backup appliance. Since most of the ransomware attacks are designed for Windows
operating systems, getting a Linux based backup appliance can eliminate the threat of an attack.
By opting a Linux based backup appliance, the likelihood of
backup data being attacked or corrupted by ransomware is reduced drastically.
2. Keep All Hardware & Software Updated
Outdated hardware and software is just like an invitation to
a ransomware attack. A recent example of a ransomware attack at the city of Baltimore shows us how important it is to keep the
hardware and software up to date.
The hackers exploited the weakness and vulnerabilities in
outdated hardware and software to get into the networks. This allowed hackers
to deploy ransomware without getting noticed.
To avoid such incidents, governments should make sure that
their hardware and software, both are always up to date.
3. Backup & Disaster Recovery
The only way to take back control, when ransomware strikes
are through backups. This ensures that there is no amount of data loss and
nullifies the need of paying any ransom.
A backup and disaster recovery appliance or a cloud based disaster recovery solution, allows governments to immediately failover to a
secure cloud and keep the services running, even if it takes time to restore
locally.
4. Early Detection
Ransomware attacks are evolving day by day. The only way to
take back control is through backups. However, backups need to be secure as
well, in order for them to be used.
Many backup and disaster recovery appliances have built in
software which can detect abnormalities and can detect ransomware in its
initial stage. This alerts the admins and helps them to take care of it before
it starts spreading.
5. Test Your Backup & Disaster Recovery
Solution
A backup is not worth anything if it cannot be recovered at
the time when actual recovery of data is needed. The only way to make sure that
data recovery works is by regularly testing it, ahead of time, to make sure
that there are no errors or complications.
Conclusion
Ransomware attacks have gone up exponentially, especially in
the government agencies. To treat with such threats a good backup and disaster
recovery solution should be in place. It should be reliable and self-efficient so
that there is no risk of data loss, downtime or paying the ransom.
