Ransomware has become a serious threat to businesses and individuals worldwide. The Coveware by Veeam Q4 2024 report show a quarterly ransom payment average of $553,959 (which is a 16% increase from Q3 2024), the median payment in Q4 2024 to $110,890. While any form of virus, worm, or malware can be harmful, ransomware can be particularly damaging because it aims to extort funds from the victim of the infection under the threat of data loss or leaks.
This article explains common ransomware types, how they work, and ways users and systems administrators can reduce the risk of infection.
Ransomware can be divided into five main categories based on the threat it presents to its victims.
Computers may become infected by ransomware accidentally through users downloading infected software from malicious websites, or via targeted attacks. It’s a common joke that malware now comes with customer service as the hackers assist victims with the process of purchasing cryptocurrencies and making the transfer to pay the ransom.
Several ransomware strains exist, each with an infection mechanism. Some of the most well-known ransomware strains are:
The answers to the following frequently asked questions can provide more insight into ransomware attacks.
What Is the Most Common Type of Ransomware Attack?
Crypto ransomware is the most common type of ransomware attack. This type of ransomware encrypts the victim's files, preventing the victim from accessing them until they pay the ransom. In many cases, even after paying the ransom, the data is still unrecoverable.
What Are the Four Most Used Vectors for Ransomware?
Four common attack vectors for ransomware include email attachments, browser pop-ups, instant messages, and text messages. Most attacks fool the user into choosing to run a malicious executable file.
What Are the Top Three Causes of Successful Ransomware Attacks?
The most common causes of successful ransomware attacks are user errors, such as falling victim to phishing attacks or poor cybersecurity practices. For example, installing software from an unknown source, clicking a malicious link, or plugging unknown USB devices into a computer could allow a ransomware infection to occur.
Organizations can take several steps to protect themselves from ransomware.
Making use of antivirus software and ad-blocking tools can reduce the likelihood of an infection. Regularly performing security updates is another important security precaution.
However, technical solutions can only go so far. It's important to provide cybersecurity training to your employees so they're less likely to fall for phishing attacks or social engineering attempts.
Even with these precautions, there's still the risk of falling victim to a new attack. That's where Veeam's ransomware protection can save the day. Modern ransomware is so sophisticated that some variants can disable Windows System Restore and reach your network drive backups, preventing you from being able to recover your data. We recommend organizations follow the 3-2-1-1-0 rule to ensure maximum data protection. Even if your network backups are somehow affected by the ransomware, you can still have an off-site and offline backup to fall back on in an emergency.
If you'd like to know more about how Veeam Backup & Replication can help you protect your data from ransomware, contact us today to talk to a salesperson or book a demonstration.
2022 Data Protection Trends
The largest data protection industry report from 3K+ IT leaders