Blog courtesy of KnowBe4
Written by Stu Sjouwerman
The fallout after a ransomware attack is more devastating than previously thought. New data spells out what you should really expect after being hit with ransomware.
When we consider what happens after a ransomware attack, we normally think about remediation steps - recovering from backup, dealing with the data breach, addressing any public-facing issues, etc. But new data from Keeper Security’s 2021 Ransomware Impact Report highlights some of the forgotten impacts to an organisation’s productivity post-attack:
- Over three-quarters (77%) were unable to access needed systems or networks
- 28% of outages lasted over a week
- 26% of organisations were unable to fully perform job duties for at least a week
- 33% faced difficult learning curves around new protocols
- 21% were unable to access online tools and applications normally used
- 36% of user had limited access to IT support for non-security related issues
According to Keeper Security, 42% of ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email, 23% from a malicious website, and 21% from a compromised password. In each of these cases, social engineering tactics are used to trick users into engaging with content in email and on the web. Users that undergo continual Security Awareness Training are able to differentiate between legitimate and suspicious/malicious content and avoid engaging with malicious links and attachments that are the initial action that results to a ransomware attack.
It’s evident, organisations suffer materially after a ransomware attack. It’s the very reason why it’s so important to take steps to ensure one never happens in your organisation.
Free Ransomware Simulator Tool
Threat actors are constantly coming out with new strains to evade detection. Is your network effective in blocking all of them when employees fall for social engineering attacks?
KnowBe4’s "RanSim" gives you a quick look at the effectiveness of your existing network protection. RanSim will simulate 22 ransomware infection scenarios and 1 cryptomining infection scenario and show you if a workstation is vulnerable.
Here's how it works:
- 100% harmless simulation of real ransomware and cryptomining infections
- Does not use any of your own files
- Tests 21 types of infection scenarios
- Just download the install and run it
- Results in a few minutes!