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Ransomware Is Changing: How We Respond To It Should Change, Too
The year 2023 brought unprecedented challenges to the security landscape as companies paid out over $1 billion in ransom demands. Unfortunately, this trend is expected to continue and worsen if we don’t change how we respond to these attacks.
It’s no longer acceptable to ignore or deprioritize basic security hygiene and accepted practices. Instead, it’s crucial to prioritize them to avoid becoming a victim of the rising number of successful ransomware attacks.
In an era where unchecked SaaS growth is over, we must adapt our strategies to tackle the evolving threat landscape. The first step in doing so is understanding the ransom demand itself before making any decisions. This means assuming the ransom demand is legitimate and focusing on observability to inform your decision-making process.
When responding to a ransomware attack, it’s essential to involve members of your business beyond the security team, such as HR, legal, and other relevant stakeholders. Expanding the definition of ransomware response allows organizations to better manage risk and improve overall company hygiene.
The time has come to recognize that traditional incident response methods are no longer sufficient in this rapidly evolving environment. We must expand our understanding of what a successful ransomware response entails and involve all necessary parties from the beginning.
To optimize incident response without cutting corners, it’s crucial to prioritize and understand the level of risk the company is facing. A risk register can aid security teams in determining which threats are aligned with the organization’s understanding of what it’s susceptible to.
In light of the recent surge in ransomware attacks, organizations must drive retrospective action to determine why an incident occurred in the first place. This involves collecting previously unknown information about the organization’s security capabilities and identifying gaps that allowed the attack to occur.
By expanding our understanding of ransomware response, we can shorten the time it takes to respond to incidents without compromising thoroughness.
Source: www.forbes.com
