Ransomware and Telework – Keys to Avoid Data Hijacking
- Data hijacking is the fastest growing type of cyberattack. Oftentimes, remote users’ device or access-related vulnerabilities are targeted for exploitation.
- Cirion experts offer critical advice to deal with this issue within the cybersecurity strategy.
Buenos Aires, May 10, 2024 – According to JLL Consulting, barely 19% of Latin American workers do their job 100% in person — 71% work in a hybrid mode while 10% do it fully remote. On the other hand, the Global Ransomware Report states that region-wide organizations suffered an average of three security breaches each, in 2023.
How are both statistics combined? Ransomware or Data hijacking is the most active cyberattack format globally. It consists of “kidnapping” and blocking files through encryption, which will be “released” upon payment of a ransom.
Since hijackers gain access through phishing or unsolicited software to trick users and given the work-from-anywhere modality today, it is increasingly important to have a cybersecurity strategy in place, primarily focused on protecting each access point to the network, wherever they are.
Therefore, following the specific steps detailed below is recommended to improve remote workers’ protection levels:
- Define the attack surface – Identify systems, devices and services necessary to keep your businesses online and your inventory active to detect the most vulnerable fronts, which are likely to include teleworkers.
- Audit and manage the most vulnerable devices – perimeter security matters; however, considering employees’ high mobility, a specific protection supplement for end-user devices is of the essence.
- Protect your emails – Keep your email solutions up-to-date and securely protected.
- Expand focus on identity – Implement two-factor authentication mechanisms for remote users and clients.
- Monitor Network Ports, Protocols and Services – prevent malicious applications from exploiting any security gap.
- Cybersecurity training and awareness – have all members of the organization trained to understand the risks and the importance of being responsible upon potential threats.
Needless to say that usual ransomware prevention actions must be considered as well:
- Recovery systems Protection and Data Backups – to enable the fastest recovery in the event of an incident. It includes the definition of recovery point objective (RPO), backups frequency and a recovery time objective (RTO).
- Run recovery drills – to ensure data availability, resource recovery, and that everything is working as expected. It includes definition of teams’ and staff’s responsibilities.
- Network Segmentation helps contain malware actions – “enclosing” the threat in a small fragment of the network and preventing it from continuing to move overwhelmingly.
- Strengthen cybersecurity throughout the cyber kill chain – identifies what cybercriminals must complete to achieve their objectives.
- Have an incident response plan in place – To ensure a better outcome upon a successful attack.
“The Teleworking model has brought multiple benefits for companies, from greater productivity to higher loyalty levels among workers,” said Pablo Dubois, Regional Security Product Manager at Cirion. “An appropriate cybersecurity strategy focused on these remote users is of the essence to continue enjoying these advantages, while minimizing cyberattack-related risks, especially ransomware’s,” he concluded.
Cirion’s Solutions
For all cases, Cirion offers tiered end-to-end solutions, from Denial of Service attack mitigation (DDoS) on the outer end to Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to ensure remote users’ secure connectivity to their apps., covering from Web Application and API Protection (WAAP), next generation perimeter firewalls or control tools, which allow organizations to visualize their environment and analyze the state of things.
Additionally, three Security Operations Center (SOCs) are available in Latam – Argentina, Brazil and Colombia-, with expert resources and broad knowledge, including specific cybersecurity trends that are taking place in the region.
For more information visit https://www.ciriontechnologies.com/en-us/integrated-security/
About Cirion
Cirion is a leading digital infrastructure and technology provider, offering a comprehensive suite of fiber network, connectivity, colocation, cloud infrastructure, and communication and collaboration solutions with the purpose of furthering Latin America´s progress through technology. Cirion serves more than 5,500 Latin American and multinational clients, including enterprises, government agencies, cloud service providers, operators, ISPs, and other leading companies. Cirion owns and operates a portfolio of its own networks and data centers, with extensive coverage throughout the Latin American region. Learn more about Cirion at www.ciriontechnologies.com