Ransomware: What It Is and How to Defend Against It

As stated in a recent New York Times article, “More than 40 municipalities have been the victims of cyberattacks this year, from major cities such as Baltimore, Albany, and Laredo, Tex., to smaller towns including Lake City, Fla.” Almost every business worldwide is now a potential target for ransomware attackers – from healthcare and financial institutions to education and government. And the attacks are going to cost companies more than $10 billion this year alone. Given all the available tools, why do firms still end up at the mercy of ransomware attackers? So, if prevention isn’t the most effective strategy against ransomware, what is? Should you give in and pay the attackers and hope that your business will be immune to all future attacks? Sazzala Reddy, Co-Founder and CTO at Datrium, has studied ransomware and its effects on businesses. He’ll discuss how attacks are set up and executed to maximize damage, deceive the best prevention tools, and avoid detection for weeks or months. He’ll also talk about one of the most effective ways to deal with the scourge of ransomware that is often overlooked.