Photo Credit: systweak.com
By: Jennifer Somers
With the recent WannaCry malware attack finding its way in to nearly 300,000 computers, we thought it would be a great time to provide a quick overview of how ransomware typically gets in and provide some best practices to help you protect yourself.
Three primary entry points for ransomware:
Network
o Protocol Exploits (interactions between two communication protocols)
o Malicious websites or ads
o Malicious content
Email
o Malicious Attachments, Malicious Links and Social Engineering (psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information)
Endpoint
o Infected Media
o Compromised Devices
Interestingly, it has been reported that the WannaCry malware “surfs” the internet looking for sites that have not had updates applied and then delivers the payload (encryption of your files) through the known weakness which a patch was released for back in March.
Here are some best practices we recommend you follow to keep yourself safe:
o Backup often and keep a recent copy of your backup off-site
o Be cautious about unsolicited attachments received via email
o Don’t enable macros in document attachments
o Don’t give yourself more login power than you need – do no stay logged in as an administrator any longer than necessary
o Consider installing Microsoft Office Viewers – these app add-ons allow you to preview Microsoft Office attachments without opening them
o Educate yourself and staff on cybersecurity
o Patch early, patch often
At Mnemonix, we understand your security concerns. We offer managed service plans that automate the update process so you know you are always up-to-date. We know that security is more than just hardware and that is why we provide cyber security training to assist with security at the user level as well. Give us a call at 616-588-7740 to learn more about how we can help you keep your systems up and safe.
By: Jennifer Somers
With the recent WannaCry malware attack finding its way in to nearly 300,000 computers, we thought it would be a great time to provide a quick overview of how ransomware typically gets in and provide some best practices to help you protect yourself.
Three primary entry points for ransomware:
Network
o Protocol Exploits (interactions between two communication protocols)
o Malicious websites or ads
o Malicious content
o Malicious Attachments, Malicious Links and Social Engineering (psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information)
Endpoint
o Infected Media
o Compromised Devices
Interestingly, it has been reported that the WannaCry malware “surfs” the internet looking for sites that have not had updates applied and then delivers the payload (encryption of your files) through the known weakness which a patch was released for back in March.
Here are some best practices we recommend you follow to keep yourself safe:
o Backup often and keep a recent copy of your backup off-site
o Be cautious about unsolicited attachments received via email
o Don’t enable macros in document attachments
o Don’t give yourself more login power than you need – do no stay logged in as an administrator any longer than necessary
o Consider installing Microsoft Office Viewers – these app add-ons allow you to preview Microsoft Office attachments without opening them
o Educate yourself and staff on cybersecurity
o Patch early, patch often
At Mnemonix, we understand your security concerns. We offer managed service plans that automate the update process so you know you are always up-to-date. We know that security is more than just hardware and that is why we provide cyber security training to assist with security at the user level as well. Give us a call at 616-588-7740 to learn more about how we can help you keep your systems up and safe.