Watch Out For Ransomware In The Cloud!
Last year, the REvil cybercrime gang ruined the Independence Day Holiday for hundreds of American businesses after successfully launching a ransomware attack. The attack forced hundreds of companies to close temporarily. REvil demanded a ransom of $70 million to unlock their files.

This attack isnt a one-off. Ransomware is a growing threat to businesses across America. Research shows that cybercriminals launch roughly 4,000 ransomware attacks per day and that number is set to increase with the rise of ransomware-as-a-service. 

Ransomware attacks start in several ways. Your employee may click on a phishing email that contains malware or a hacker might exploit a vulnerability in your infrastructure that enables them to deploy ransomware. 

We are also seeing more and more hackers target cloud storage with ransomware. This devastating form of attack needs urgent attention from companies so that they dont fall victim.

What Is Ransomware In The Cloud?

Ransomware is a form of malicious software that works by encrypting access to sensitive data. The victim needs to pay a ransom to decrypt the files (typically in untraceable bitcoin). However, there is no guarantee that they will get their files back.

One of the best defenses against ransomware has been backing up data to the cloud. Cybercriminals have caught onto this tactic. As a result, theyre launching attacks that specifically target cloud storage.

Ransomware attacks on cloud storage are a stroke of evil genius for malicious actors. When an organizations backups are compromised, theyre more likely to pay the ransom. Otherwise, they could lose their sensitive files forever. 

How Does Ransomware Get Into The Cloud?

There are two major ways by which ransomware gets into the cloud. In the first instance, ransomware gets into the cloud when an employee uploads compromised data to the cloud that is infected with ransomware. This can happen via a phishing attack or compromised credentials. 

In the second instance, hackers can exploit public cloud databases and contaminate them with ransomware. 

While you might assume that your cloud provider is responsible for preventing ransomware from impacting the cloud, this isnt quite the case. The cloud provider must protect the underlying infrastructure from compromise. 

It is up to you to make sure that your users use the cloud correctly and that it is securely configured. To that end, you can take some crucial actions to reduce the likelihood of ransomware infecting your cloud storage.  We will explore those below.

How To Prevent Ransomware In The Cloud

 To prevent ransomware from infecting the cloud, you will need to look at your approach to cloud security. The steps below will reduce the likelihood of ransomware infections and bolster your defenses to make you less susceptible to data breaches. Here is what you need to know: 

  • Use the principle of least privilege and deploy privileged access management: The best way to stop compromised credentials from escalating to a ransomware attack is to use the principle of least privilege. This means giving your employees access to only the data they need to perform their roles and nothing more. For privileged accounts, you will need to take a more stringent approach because these accounts are the ones hackers target the most. You can deploy solutions like user behavior monitoring and auditing and logging to manage privileged users proactively. 
  • Keep track of your employee cloud accounts: Redundant cloud accounts are a holy grail for hackers and enable them to go unnoticed in a company for weeks (if not months). Make sure that you disable unused accounts as soon as an employee leaves your company to prevent this. 
  • Enforce rules to prevent cloud misconfigurations: A cloud misconfiguration occurs when an employee accidentally leaves a cloud environment set to public. This makes it accessible to the wider internet. Catching and fixing cloud misconfigurations is vital. Its also proving to be difficult. In fact, Gartner predicts that 99% of cloud security breaches will be the customers fault by 2025 due to human error and misconfigurations. The best way to defend against this threat is through cloud monitoring tools and policies that enforce stringent rules over cloud configurations and employee training. We can assist you with 24/7 monitoring of your cloud environment. You can reach out to us to learn more. 
  • Harness the clouds built-in security tools: Cloud service providers have started offering ransomware scanning as part of their offers. These tools work by automatically scanning uploads and downloads for evidence of malware. If the tool finds a malicious file, it will quarantine the file before it can have an impact.

Improve The Security Of Your Cloud Environment Today! 

Sound Computers can help your Connecticut business implement innovative cloud security solutions that help to improve security while boosting employee productivity. 

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 860-577-8060 or reach us online.

May 10, 2022
Sound Computers Admin