The central topics of this article are encryption and ransomware: we will analyze, in particular, the relationship between the two and the fundamental role that the use of cryptographic keys plays in protecting the business of companies.
Businesses today cannot avoid obtaining high-level protection from the damage caused by various types of cyber attacks and their subsequent risks. Malware, for example, is malicious software that can enter computers, while cross-site scripting is designed to inject malicious scripts into web pages.
Then, there are ransomware, which act similar to Trojans, by attacking the operating system – for example, by exploiting a network vulnerability or by entering a previously downloaded file – and encrypting corporate files present on the hard disk. What’s the aim? Simple: ask the owner of the files for a “ransom” to make the encrypted documents (for example, quotes, images, videos, forecasts, customer lists, important information and any other types of confidential documents) readable.
To avoid these problems, you must first of all be careful not to open attachments with “suspicious” extensions (such as “.exe”), avoid downloading software from unsafe sites and use effective tools for managing access to company data. Combining these precautions with appropriate anti-ransomware solutions (by using encryption in the first place, as we will see later) is also an excellent system for preserving the security of corporate data.
It is estimated that the sectors most affected by ransomware are manufacturing (about 13% of attacks), services and transport (about 9%), retail and high-tech industries (about 8%) and construction (about 5%). This is followed by advertising, telecommunications, oil and gas, non-profit organizations, consumer services, the pharmaceutical industry and many other sectors.
According to research published by Check Point Research, Italy is the second country most affected by cyber-attacks in the European Union, immediately after Spain. In the first 10 months of 2021, attacks on organizations or companies increased by 36%, with over 900 breaches per week!
Increasing the levels of cybersecurity in a company is therefore of vital importance and it is simple if you rely on cryptography, in particular for ransomware protection. Cryptography is a system that allows you to convert data and documents into an encoded format with an extension that most ransomware does not recognize and therefore does not affect: to make them usable again, only authorized persons will need to decrypt them, thereby making them accessible and modifiable again.
Encryption ransomware – get to know them to ensure cybersecurity in the company
In addition to the cyber-attacks mentioned above, attention should also be paid to malicious domains, which contain malware or viruses, as well as to spear-phishing, which aims to steal personal information. Password cracking consists of stealing passwords, while exploits are software that, through bugs, give rise to unexpected behaviors in hardware and software.
Among the most dangerous, as anticipated, are the encryption ransomware, which aim to steal data or block device functionality in anticipation of requesting a ransom, which generally must be paid in bitcoins.
Let’s now take a step back to understand how to defend your company from ransomware attacks. As anticipated, an efficient protection tool is data encryption.
What is encryption
Knowing about cryptography is of fundamental importance for businesses and, above all, it is one of the key concepts related to data security. Thanks to cryptography, it is possible to prevent information theft from a computer, and thus prevent attacks that jeopardize its cybersecurity.
The aim of cryptography– the meaning of which is “hidden writing” – is to protect the information that is transmitted between the browser and the server: it is based on an encryption algorithm, namely a data encryption software. These are transformed into encrypted texts by means of a cryptographic key, a set of mathematical values that both the sender and the recipient are aware of.
To decrypt the data and therefore make it readable again, just use the cryptographic key. Cryptography can be distinguished in symmetrical (which uses private encryption keys exclusively) and asymmetrical encryption (which, on the other hand, uses both public encryption keys and private keys, which must be kept secret by the owner of the document).
Even in everyday life, there are many encryption examples: for example, every time a customer makes an online purchase through their phone, encryption is required to protect the information that is transmitted.
The same Secure Sockets Layer that is used by almost all legitimate websites allows us to understand what encryption is through a data encryption protocol that prevents intercepting data in transit. Finally, encryption is exploited by VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and to prove the authenticity of information with regard to increasingly widespread digital signatures.
How ransomware works
The use of specific types of software that use encryption, in addition to other measures, to protect data is essential to prevent a ransomware attack, that is, an infection that encrypts data causing, in most cases, its loss. The writers of ransomware use their own encryption to get hold of the files they target.
But what is ransomware? The name derives from the crasis of ransom malware: it is nothing more than a malware of which the goal is to interrupt access to corporate files or users’ systems, so that a ransom may be required to return the data to being usable again.
When it comes to the meaning of ransomware, it is clear: it is a system that can infect devices through different ways, for example, through malvertising attacks or with malspam. In the first case, they exploit online advertisements to spread malware without users having to act directly; in the second case, however, the distribution of malware takes place via unwanted e-mail messages, which contain links to dangerous websites or malicious attachments.
Examples and types of ransomware
A review of all of the types of ransomware that exist would be infinite: just think that over the last few years, more than 80 million ransomware samples have been identified, which have then been cataloged into 130 different categories.
A significant distinction, however, is between locker ransomware and crypto ransomware. The former try to interrupt the functions of the system, even if the data is not destroyed, altered or exfiltrated. The attackers demand a ransom in exchange for a tool through which the system’s functionality can be unlocked.
Typically, this ransomware displays a lock screen that is traced back to law enforcement due to browsing particular sites. With regard to crypto ransomware, on the other hand, the functions of the systems remain unchanged, while the data is encrypted: the victim is blackmailed to prevent the data from being sold to the competition or otherwise disseminated.
Depending on the ransomware distribution methods, a distinction is then made between ransomware off the shelf, as-a-service, IoT Attackers and affiliate programs.
How to use encryption to protect your business: Boolebox products
How are ransomware and encryption related, then? We have already specified that ransomware uses encryption as a means of carrying out cyber attacks; as illustrated above, however, cryptography can also be used as an effective tool for protection from the ransomware itself. Boolebox, for example, offers a large assortment of solutions that can be used to protect your data from ransomware:
- File encryptor per windows
- File Encryptor per OneDrive & SharePoint
- File Encryptor per Google Drive
- File Encryptor per Dropbox
- E-mail Encryptor per Outlook
- E-mail Encryptor per Gmail
How do they work? File Encryptor for Windows, for example, allows you to protect folders and files on your PC or in network folders: you can decide to encrypt them manually or automatically. File Encryptor for Google Drive, on the other hand, allows you to take advantage of very high security standards without having to do without your data library: files can be encrypted directly from the Google account, without having to leave the personal GDrive area. Finally, Email Encryptor for Gmail is an email message encryption app, which applies military encryption to the client. In conclusion, there is no shortage of solutions to combat ransomware.
Contact Boolebox to learn more about encryption against ransomware
Would you like more information on Boolebox products to protect your company data and understand how to remove ransomware? Contact us and you will discover the most effective solutions to defend your business or organization from any ransomware attack.
Encryption and ransomware: how to prevent attacks and increase cybersecurity in business
January 14, 2022
The central topics of this article are encryption and ransomware: we will analyze, in particular, the relationship between the two and the fundamental role that the use of cryptographic keys plays in protecting the business of companies.
Businesses today cannot avoid obtaining high-level protection from the damage caused by various types of cyber attacks and their subsequent risks. Malware, for example, is malicious software that can enter computers, while cross-site scripting is designed to inject malicious scripts into web pages.
Then, there are ransomware, which act similar to Trojans, by attacking the operating system – for example, by exploiting a network vulnerability or by entering a previously downloaded file – and encrypting corporate files present on the hard disk. What’s the aim? Simple: ask the owner of the files for a “ransom” to make the encrypted documents (for example, quotes, images, videos, forecasts, customer lists, important information and any other types of confidential documents) readable.
To avoid these problems, you must first of all be careful not to open attachments with “suspicious” extensions (such as “.exe”), avoid downloading software from unsafe sites and use effective tools for managing access to company data. Combining these precautions with appropriate anti-ransomware solutions (by using encryption in the first place, as we will see later) is also an excellent system for preserving the security of corporate data.
It is estimated that the sectors most affected by ransomware are manufacturing (about 13% of attacks), services and transport (about 9%), retail and high-tech industries (about 8%) and construction (about 5%). This is followed by advertising, telecommunications, oil and gas, non-profit organizations, consumer services, the pharmaceutical industry and many other sectors.
According to research published by Check Point Research, Italy is the second country most affected by cyber-attacks in the European Union, immediately after Spain. In the first 10 months of 2021, attacks on organizations or companies increased by 36%, with over 900 breaches per week!
Increasing the levels of cybersecurity in a company is therefore of vital importance and it is simple if you rely on cryptography, in particular for ransomware protection. Cryptography is a system that allows you to convert data and documents into an encoded format with an extension that most ransomware does not recognize and therefore does not affect: to make them usable again, only authorized persons will need to decrypt them, thereby making them accessible and modifiable again.
Encryption ransomware – get to know them to ensure cybersecurity in the company
In addition to the cyber-attacks mentioned above, attention should also be paid to malicious domains, which contain malware or viruses, as well as to spear-phishing, which aims to steal personal information. Password cracking consists of stealing passwords, while exploits are software that, through bugs, give rise to unexpected behaviors in hardware and software.
Among the most dangerous, as anticipated, are the encryption ransomware, which aim to steal data or block device functionality in anticipation of requesting a ransom, which generally must be paid in bitcoins.
Let’s now take a step back to understand how to defend your company from ransomware attacks. As anticipated, an efficient protection tool is data encryption.
What is encryption
Knowing about cryptography is of fundamental importance for businesses and, above all, it is one of the key concepts related to data security. Thanks to cryptography, it is possible to prevent information theft from a computer, and thus prevent attacks that jeopardize its cybersecurity.
The aim of cryptography– the meaning of which is “hidden writing” – is to protect the information that is transmitted between the browser and the server: it is based on an encryption algorithm, namely a data encryption software. These are transformed into encrypted texts by means of a cryptographic key, a set of mathematical values that both the sender and the recipient are aware of.
To decrypt the data and therefore make it readable again, just use the cryptographic key. Cryptography can be distinguished in symmetrical (which uses private encryption keys exclusively) and asymmetrical encryption (which, on the other hand, uses both public encryption keys and private keys, which must be kept secret by the owner of the document).
Even in everyday life, there are many encryption examples: for example, every time a customer makes an online purchase through their phone, encryption is required to protect the information that is transmitted.
The same Secure Sockets Layer that is used by almost all legitimate websites allows us to understand what encryption is through a data encryption protocol that prevents intercepting data in transit. Finally, encryption is exploited by VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and to prove the authenticity of information with regard to increasingly widespread digital signatures.
How ransomware works
The use of specific types of software that use encryption, in addition to other measures, to protect data is essential to prevent a ransomware attack, that is, an infection that encrypts data causing, in most cases, its loss. The writers of ransomware use their own encryption to get hold of the files they target.
But what is ransomware? The name derives from the crasis of ransom malware: it is nothing more than a malware of which the goal is to interrupt access to corporate files or users’ systems, so that a ransom may be required to return the data to being usable again.
When it comes to the meaning of ransomware, it is clear: it is a system that can infect devices through different ways, for example, through malvertising attacks or with malspam. In the first case, they exploit online advertisements to spread malware without users having to act directly; in the second case, however, the distribution of malware takes place via unwanted e-mail messages, which contain links to dangerous websites or malicious attachments.
Examples and types of ransomware
A review of all of the types of ransomware that exist would be infinite: just think that over the last few years, more than 80 million ransomware samples have been identified, which have then been cataloged into 130 different categories.
A significant distinction, however, is between locker ransomware and crypto ransomware. The former try to interrupt the functions of the system, even if the data is not destroyed, altered or exfiltrated. The attackers demand a ransom in exchange for a tool through which the system’s functionality can be unlocked.
Typically, this ransomware displays a lock screen that is traced back to law enforcement due to browsing particular sites. With regard to crypto ransomware, on the other hand, the functions of the systems remain unchanged, while the data is encrypted: the victim is blackmailed to prevent the data from being sold to the competition or otherwise disseminated.
Depending on the ransomware distribution methods, a distinction is then made between ransomware off the shelf, as-a-service, IoT Attackers and affiliate programs.
How to use encryption to protect your business: Boolebox products
How are ransomware and encryption related, then? We have already specified that ransomware uses encryption as a means of carrying out cyber attacks; as illustrated above, however, cryptography can also be used as an effective tool for protection from the ransomware itself. Boolebox, for example, offers a large assortment of solutions that can be used to protect your data from ransomware:
- File encryptor per windows
- File Encryptor per OneDrive & SharePoint
- File Encryptor per Google Drive
- File Encryptor per Dropbox
- E-mail Encryptor per Outlook
- E-mail Encryptor per Gmail
How do they work? File Encryptor for Windows, for example, allows you to protect folders and files on your PC or in network folders: you can decide to encrypt them manually or automatically. File Encryptor for Google Drive, on the other hand, allows you to take advantage of very high security standards without having to do without your data library: files can be encrypted directly from the Google account, without having to leave the personal GDrive area. Finally, Email Encryptor for Gmail is an email message encryption app, which applies military encryption to the client. In conclusion, there is no shortage of solutions to combat ransomware.
Contact Boolebox to learn more about encryption against ransomware
Would you like more information on Boolebox products to protect your company data and understand how to remove ransomware? Contact us and you will discover the most effective solutions to defend your business or organization from any ransomware attack.
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