cxo voice
  • Home
  • News
  • Leaders Talk
  • Expert Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Leaders Talk
  • Expert Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Leaders Talk and Latest Tech News | CXO VOICE
No Result
View All Result
Home News Cyber Security

Can SASE be used as your initial defense against ransomware?

Harish Kumar by Harish Kumar
September 12, 2023
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Credentials database theft, reused passwords dangerous entryway

Photo: Harish Kumar

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Statista says that 71% of global businesses felt the impact of ransomware trends. A total of 62.9% of the ransomware victims paid the ransom. In 2022, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) revealed a significant surge of 53% in ransomware incidents within India. Alongside this rise, new strains like Vice Society and BlueSky emerged, and tactics like double and triple extortion were used. Hackers used myriad techniques and tools to infiltrate networks, applications, and computers as they lay the groundwork for the ransom demand. This is why a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution that protects these assets against ransomware is your first line of defense against attackers.

Increased Risk with Flexible Work

Ransomware can exploit access to corporate resources, including data centers, IaaS, and cloud production environments, to propagate within your organization, blocking you from vital IT assets. The danger of infection and spread is multiplied when users operate beyond the corporate firewall. Remote employees might unknowingly download a contaminated file, interact with a malicious advertisement, or visit an infected website.

Moving Targets in Cost, Conduct, and Code

According to CSO Online, in 2022, 76% of organizations were targeted by a ransomware attack, out of which 64% were infected with only 50% able to retrieve their data after paying the ransom. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach 2022 report revealed an average ransom payment of $812,360, with the total ransomware attack costing $4.5 million on average.

As costs to victimized organizations increase, so do the number of ways in which attackers carry out their attacks. Individuals conducted the first ransomware attacks, developing and distributing massive numbers of automated payloads to randomly selected victims. Today, attackers are sophisticated, operating full-blown “business models” like ransomware-as-a-service with careful planning and execution tactics.

Some attackers encrypt sensitive data and threaten to expose it once inside the network via malware and/or system vulnerabilities. Decryption keys might—or might not be—released after the ransom is paid. Some ransomware attackers skip the encryption phase and simply threaten the victim by showing copies of stolen data. “Triple extortion” threats threaten the organization and employees, business partners and clients. Still, other attackers destroy data.

Ransomware code itself has evolved. The notorious Wannacry combined exploit code stolen from the U.S. government with custom code to create a ransomware worm, which could spread in a network instead of simply encrypting a single workstation. In May 2017, a global Wannacry attack infected an estimated 200,000 computers within three days, costing global victims billions of dollars. Since 2020, VirusTotal’s Ransomware in a Global Context report found over 130 different ransomware strains, with 95% of them Windows-based executable files or dynamic link libraries. Last year, Check Point Research also observed ransomware gangs using legitimate IT software, such as remote management solutions, in their attacks.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Real-Life Scenario – Preventing Ransomware with SASE

An example of SASE with real-time, global threat intelligence preventing a ransomware attack occurred in a Check Point customer’s environment.

In October 2022, a zero-day variant of a multistage evasive malware called ThreatCloud identified Raspberry Robin. About 45 minutes after the variant was added to ThreatCloud, a remote user was infected by the variant from a USB device. In less than a minute, the customer’s Check Point SASE solution stopped command & control communications from the malware—neutralizing the attack, preventing the malware from being activated, and avoiding its spread in the customer’s network.

Layered Defense with SASE and Endpoint Protection

A SASE solution, such as Check Point Harmony Connect, serves as a first line of defense against known and unknown zero-day ransomware attacks by securing corporate access and internet access for remote users and branch offices. Harmony Connect prevents the exploitation of vulnerabilities across browsers, applications, and systems to stop ransomware from gaining a foothold in your network while preventing users from accessing infection points and downloading malicious files through real-time threat intelligence and advanced sandboxing.


Also Read: Millions infected by spyware versions of Telegram, Signal on Google Play

Harish Kumar

Harish Kumar

Head, Enterprise at Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC

Related Posts

Airkit.ai
Business

Salesforce to acquire Airkit.ai to boost AI capabilities

September 23, 2023
Working in a post-pandemic world: What is the new normal?
Business

25 million employees now returning to offices globally in the hybrid work era

September 23, 2023
Image Credit: Pixabay
Business

IT spending in MENA region to reach $183.8 billion in 2024: Gartner

September 23, 2023
Samsung Huawei
Technology

Samsung, Huawei to drive mass adoption of foldable smartphones next year

September 22, 2023
GenAI
Business

GenAI to generate economic value worth $2.6-$4.4 trillion annually: Report

September 21, 2023
SK hynix
Technology

US to ensure S. Korean chipmakers’ smooth operation regarding China curbs

September 21, 2023
McAfee Scam Protection
Cyber Security

McAfee’s new AI-based product to spot, block scams in real-time

September 21, 2023
Huawei
Cyber Security

US govt hacking into Huawei servers since 2009, accuses China

September 21, 2023
Load More
ADVERTISEMENT

Expert Views

Credentials database theft, reused passwords dangerous entryway
Cyber Security

Can SASE be used as your initial defense against ransomware?

September 12, 2023
Smart Cities challenges and security
Cyber Security

Do our abilities match the ambitions of Smart Cities?

August 23, 2023
Why 5G Network Uptime is Essential for a Digitally Interconnected Society
Opinion

Why 5G Network Uptime is Essential for a Digitally Interconnected Society

July 18, 2023
Responding to cyberbullying with cyber confidence and resilience
Cyber Security

Responding to cyberbullying with cyber confidence and resilience

July 17, 2023
Five Ways All-Flash Data Centers Can Drive Sustainability Goals 
Opinion

Five Ways All-Flash Data Centers Can Drive Sustainability Goals 

July 7, 2023

Latest Updates

Airkit.ai

Salesforce to acquire Airkit.ai to boost AI capabilities

by IANS
24 hours ago

Working in a post-pandemic world: What is the new normal?

25 million employees now returning to offices globally in the hybrid work era

by News Desk
1 day ago

Image Credit: Pixabay

IT spending in MENA region to reach $183.8 billion in 2024: Gartner

by News Desk
1 day ago

Samsung Huawei

Samsung, Huawei to drive mass adoption of foldable smartphones next year

by IANS
2 days ago

GenAI

GenAI to generate economic value worth $2.6-$4.4 trillion annually: Report

by IANS
3 days ago

SK hynix

US to ensure S. Korean chipmakers’ smooth operation regarding China curbs

by IANS
3 days ago

Get Latest Update

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives newsletter direct to your inbox!

ADVERTISEMENT

Leaders Inerviews

NewgenOne
Leaders Talk

NewgenONE bridges the gap between business users and IT teams with its low code capability: Varun Goswami

-
Interview with Prasanna Arikala, CTO, Kore.ai on AI chatbots
AI

Can AI chatbots enhance customer experience and reduce the cost of serving customers?

-
Rising cyber attacks pose a serious threat to Indian SMBs, says Zakir Hussain
Cyber Security

Rising cyber attacks pose a serious threat to Indian SMBs, says Zakir Hussain

-
Axis Bank's Cloud-driven digital banking solutions
Banking

Axis Bank doubles down on cloud based digital banking solutions

-

Entrepreneur

Samsung Electronics appoints its first female president

Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs in India (2022)

Technology Adoption For Entrepreneurs

Volunteering management is the need of the Hour

We bring business leaders' opinions and unique ideas on what’s happening in the market and its impact. Also, get the daily news, analysis, and insights.

Connect with us

Easy Links

  • Cryptocurrency
  • Event
  • Blockchain
  • Press Release
  • Resources & Downloads

Write Us

contact@cxovoice.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Feedback

© 2023 CXO VOICE

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Leaders Talk
  • Expert Opinion

© 2023 CXO VOICE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/