Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files and then seeks payment in exchange for the encryption key.
A ransomware readiness assessment is an audit that businesses can undergo to determine their risk level for ransomware. The assessment will help you identify which areas of your organisation are at the highest risk for attack and which defences need to be put in place.
Regardless of whether or not your business has been victim to this type of security breach before, your organisation must be aware of the threat posed by these bad actors, and what you can do to protect your business from them. In this article, we will discuss some of the benefits of a ransomware readiness assessment and why you should make sure that your business is taking all necessary precautions.
How Can a Ransomware Readiness Assessment Help My Business Stay Safe?
Knowing your risk level allows you to prioritise your efforts and allocate the necessary resources accordingly. The assessment can help you develop effective countermeasures against ransomware, including training for employees and developing virus detection policies.
By undergoing a risk and readiness assessment, you can prevent attacks from happening in the first place by identifying vulnerabilities and implementing appropriate security measures.
Why Is a Ransomware Readiness Assessment Important?
The potential consequences of not being prepared for ransomware attacks are severe. If your organisation is attacked by ransomware, the files on your systems may be encrypted and you may not be able to access them until the ransom is paid. In addition, payment of the ransom could result in the release of confidential data or access to sensitive files.
Which Areas Should Be Assessed?
There are a number of areas that should be assessed when preparing for a ransomware readiness assessment, including:
- Network security: Your organisation’s network infrastructure should be evaluated for vulnerabilities that could enable an attack using ransomware.
- System security: Your computers and software should be checked for updates that address potential vulnerabilities that could lead to an attack using ransomware.
- Data security: Files and data stored on your systems should be protected with strong passwords and encryption methods.
- Legal compliance: You should review your company’s policies related to payment of ransom demands and data retention.
The Benefits of a Ransomware Readiness Assessment
There are several benefits to undergoing a ransomware readiness assessment; as part of your assessment you can:
- Significantly reduce the likelihood of disruption to your business and downtime as a result on a ransomware attack
- Mitigate impact on regulatory, compliance and reputation
- Improve security readiness policies and procedures that result from an attack
- Reduce cyber-insurance costs
Get Ransomware Ready with Risk Crew
Over 30 years of hands-on experience in malware, business continuity, disaster recovery, and incident response have been accumulated by Risk Crew security consultants. This is what we do. To achieve measurable results, we think deeply, question assumptions, identify causes, and determine effects.
Our belief is that you deserve nothing less. We are so confident in our services that if you are not satisfied, you won’t be charged.
Our Ransomware Readiness Assessment Methodology
At Risk Crew, we provide a simple and effective service to test your business’s ransomware threat readiness and its ability to recover from a ransomware attack. In addition to simulated ransomware attacks that test your real-world response capability, the service is based on industry-established best practices to ensure that you are ready for any threat.
1. Identify
We begin by confirming your business’ critical information assets, particularly where a ransomware attack could most harm the business. We’ll then map your existing security controls to these assets, as well as identifying any gaps in protection. We’ll also survey and benchmark your business’ current awareness of ransomware threats and any potential entry points.
2. Protect
From here, we can now assess the effectiveness of your existing security processes via a range of simulated ransomware attacks. This determines whether or not your current measures are fit for purpose.
3. Detect
Next, we’ll determine how quickly your systems respond to an attack. We assess anti-malware software and hardware products for their ability to identify and quarantine our simulated infections.
4. Respond
Next, we assess the business’ response to our simulated ransomware attacks. This is done via a table-top walk-through of the existing incident response plan, monitoring the “live” exercise, and an assessment of your employees’ execution of and professionalism around mitigating ransomware attacks.
5. Recover
Finally, we audit your business’ capability to recover from our simulated attacks via a table-top walk-through of your existing business continuity and disaster recovery plans. We’ll also confirm system back-ups, review business impact assessments, and DR vendor solutions for efficiency and effectiveness.
You can book your Ransomware Readiness Assessment Audit here or give one of Risk Crew’s members a call on +44 (0) 20 3653 1234.
Download The Ransomware Readiness Playbook
Why not download our Ransomware Readiness Playbook to give your organisation a better understanding of the new world we live in.