Dimension Data and Cisco white paper tackles ransomware defence

Working in close collaboration with Dimension Data, a global ICT services and solutions providers, Cisco has published a white paper that tackles the impact of ransomware threats and the best practices in terms of defence.

The Ransomware: The Pervasive Business Disruptor white paper explored the various trends surrounding ransomware attacks and noted the importance of meeting the challenge head on before it becomes a business disruptor.

Commenting on the severity of ransomware, Matthew Gyde, Group Executive - Security, Dimension Data, shared: "The escalation in ransomware attacks in the digital economy makes every organisation a target ... this risk escalated when cryptocurrency and bitcoin became a common avenue for ransom payment. That's because cybercriminals cannot be traced. And as more employees work remotely on personal devices, the risk is further compounded."

The white paper includes a six-point framework designed to help organisations to strengthen their defence capabilities against ransomware. These points consist of being informed of the different types of attacks, proactive research that enables the ability to predict attacks, protection and detection tools, as well as adding the ability to respond in real-time and recover in the event of a breach.

In the recently released Cisco 2017 Mid-Year Cyber Security Report, the international technology firm found that 49% of global businesses experienced at least one cyber ransom attack in 2016. Of that 39% were ransomware attacks, and within the US alone, the number of attacks increased by 300% between 2015 and 2016.

"Deep threat Intelligence and research are key to outsmarting cybercriminals, and a critical success factor is to disrupt the attack before it becomes the business disruptor," said Gyde.

"But security controls alone are not sufficient to address a ransomware threat, and organisations need to adopt a multi-layered approach to stop the cyber kill chain.

"This means identifying emerging threats before an attack, quick detection, a swift response to an attack, all the way through to the backup and recovery process."