I read this morning that Taos Public Schools were hit with a widespread ransomware attack that crippled their network. I do not know how the attack was executed or spread but often these attacks are done via phishing emails or embedded malicious code in benign websites.
Speaking of employees, user education has always been a key element in avoiding malware infections. This same principle also applies to ransomware. The basics of knowing where files came from, why the employee is receiving them, and whether or not they can trust the sender continue to be useful tools your employees should use before opening files and emails.
The most common infection methods used in ransomware campaigns are still spam and phishing emails. Quite often, user awareness can prevent an attack before it occurs. Take the time to educate your users, and ensure that if they see something unusual, they report it to your security teams immediately.
Employee awareness and data back up are important parts in protecting the network. Checkpoint’s incident response team has compiled 5 easy tips to help prevent these types of attacks. One step I would always encourage is reducing the use of privileged access. No user needs to surf the internet or do daily work as an administrator.
To learn more and schedule an assessment for your internal email security, please contact us.
Cody's engineering networking and security expertise broaden AQUILA’s ability to service organizations. Before AQUILA, Cody was a Computer and Information Security Specialist on the Los Alamos National Laboratory Security Architecture and Application Development team. He also worked as an IT Specialist at Western New Mexico University.
Cody earned a Master of Science in Information Systems & Assurance from UNM. He received an MBA and a B.S. in History and Math from Western New Mexico University.
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