The number of cases of ransomware attacks is increasing dramatically. More and more often criminals focus on companies, rather than consumers. Simply because they can earn more money there.
According to the Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report 2019, the financial loss has increased by more than 200% in the past year.
Can you as a company protect yourself against ransomware?
Digital security will always be a game of cat and mouse. And this may even worsen in the future. But you can do a lot to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals. Companies often opt for one or more point solutions, while it is just as important to implement a set of proactive and detective measures. These measures also have to integrate seamlessly with each other.
Cisco Umbrella, specifically against ransomware
A good example of this is Cisco Umbrella. This is a cloud-based security platform that secures the corporate network on the DNS server. It prevents malware and ransomware attacks on the DNS and IP domain level.
The great thing about this is that you don't have to install agents, but only have to configure an IP address of the DNS server in your router. It is therefore very quick and easy to implement and offers real-time protection. In addition, Cisco Umbrella can easily be integrated with other solutions.
Vulnerability scanning
But you are not there yet. Vulnerabilities in the network are also an ideal opportunity for criminals to distribute ransomware. Therefore, make sure you always have the latest patches and updates installed. And that your network is constantly scanned for vulnerabilities.
Cisco Meraki
The more devices on the network, the greater the chance that there is a device somewhere on the network that does not have the latest patches or updates installed. System administrators often have their hands full on this. Certainly at companies that also have several branches. Many of our customers therefore choose Cisco Meraki.
The Cisco Meraki product line consists of switches, security appliances and wireless network equipment, which means an extensive portfolio. But the main advantage of Cisco Meraki is the central management platform. As soon as the equipment is installed on location, it appears in the Meraki dashboard and the equipment can be configured remotely and according to a fixed template. This not only saves an enormous amount of time, it also reduces the risk of errors (and therefore vulnerabilities).
Cisco Umbrella is also fully integrated in the Cisco Meraki dashboard. A matter of just ticking and the entire network is fully protected against
ransomware.
Mobile devices
Last but not least: don't forget the mobile devices either. With the increasing number of end-point devices, there are also more and more different operating systems. Which is also a source for vulnerabilities. Cisco Umbrella integrates seamlessly with Cisco Mobile Device Management (Meraki System Manager). And via APIs also with other mobile device management platforms, such as Citrix Endpoint Management (XenMobile) and MobileIron.
The moral of the story
From a practical point of view, we are confronted with the challenges that our customers face in the field of digital security on a daily basis. Preventing attackers from entering is a continuous process. At the moment, there are a lot of ransomware attacks, but this may be something else tomorrow. Therefore, take all elements into account and ensure an integrated network and security approach.
