Protecting your agency against ransomware attacks is of utmost importance in today’s digital landscape. This article will provide you with key information on safeguarding your organization through the use of backups and best practices. We will explore the critical role of backups in preventing ransomware attacks, how threat actors attempt to gain access to your agency’s backups, and the best practices you can implement to enhance your backup strategy. By following these guidelines, you can fortify your agency’s defenses and ensure the integrity and availability of your data.

Why are backups critical to preventing ransomware?

Backups play a crucial role in preventing ransomware attacks and mitigating their impact. Here’s why:

1. Data recovery: Ransomware encrypts your data and holds it hostage until a ransom is paid. Having up-to-date backups allows you to restore your data without paying a ransom. If your backups are comprehensive and regular, you can recover your data to a point before the ransomware infection occurred, minimizing the disruption and potential data loss.
2. Avoiding ransom payment: By having backups readily available, you can avoid paying the ransom demanded by cybercriminals. Paying the ransom not only supports criminal activities but also provides no guarantee that your data will be restored or that you won’t be targeted again in the future.
3. Rebuilding systems: In some cases, ransomware can also affect your entire system, including operating systems and critical applications. With reliable backups, you can rebuild your systems from a known good state, ensuring that you can resume operations swiftly and with minimal downtime.
4. Forensic analysis: Backups can be used for forensic analysis to investigate the source and impact of the ransomware attack. They can help identify the entry point, understand the extent of the compromise, and implement necessary security measures to prevent future incidents.

To ensure the effectiveness of backups in preventing ransomware, it is essential to follow best practices such as keeping backups offline or in a secure, isolated environment, regularly testing the restoration process, and protecting backup infrastructure with strong security measures. Regularly updating and patching software, implementing robust access controls, and educating employees about phishing and malware risks are additional important measures to prevent ransomware attacks.

How do threat actors attempt to gain access to your Agency’s backups?

Threat actors can employ various methods to access an Agency’s backups. Here are a few common techniques:

1. Direct attack on backup infrastructure: Hackers may target vulnerabilities in backup software, systems, or storage devices to gain unauthorized access. Weak passwords, unpatched software, or misconfigurations can be exploited.
2. Phishing and social engineering: Threat actors may send deceptive emails or messages to employees, pretending to be a legitimate source, to trick them into revealing sensitive information such as backup credentials or login details.
3. Ransomware attacks: Ransomware can encrypt an organization’s backups, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities or use social engineering to gain initial access to the network and then propagate the ransomware.
4. Insider threats: Malicious insiders with access to backup systems may abuse their privileges to gain unauthorized access or manipulate the backups for nefarious purposes.
5. Exploiting weak network security: Weak network security practices, such as open ports, weak access controls, or insecure network configurations, can allow threat actors to gain entry into the backup infrastructure.

It is important to implement robust security measures to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access to backups. This includes regularly updating software, employing strong access controls, implementing multi-factor authentication, conducting security awareness training, and regularly testing backup and recovery processes.

Best Practices for Backups

Defending Against Ransomware Attacks

Performing regular backups is essential to defend against ransomware attacks. Here are some best practices for performing backups:

1. Frequent backups: A daily backup routine is recommended in many cases, as it strikes a reasonable balance between data protection and operational efficiency. However, some organizations with less volatile data or lower risk tolerance may opt for weekly or biweekly backups. Ultimately, it’s important to assess your unique needs and align your backup frequency accordingly.
2. Redundancy: Maintain multiple copies of your backups in separate locations. This helps protect against physical damage, theft, or corruption of backup data.
3. Offline backups: Ransomware can often target connected or network-accessible backups. Offline backups, such as external hard drives or offline cloud storage, provide an additional layer of protection by keeping the backups disconnected from the network when not in use.
4. Regular testing: Regularly test the restoration process to ensure backups function correctly. This practice helps identify any issues or potential gaps in the backup and recovery process before a crisis occurs.
5. Segmentation: Separate backups from the primary network and restrict access to backup systems to limit the potential impact of a ransomware attack spreading to backup files.
6. Access control: Implement strong access controls and user permissions for backup systems. Only authorized personnel should have access to backup resources to minimize the risk of unauthorized modification or deletion.
7. Monitoring and alerts: Deploy monitoring systems to detect suspicious activities or changes in backup environments. Set up alerts to promptly notify administrators of any potential security incidents.
8. Data encryption: Encrypt your backup data to protect it from unauthorized access. This adds an extra layer of security, especially when backups are stored offsite or in the cloud.
9. Patch and update systems: Regularly apply security patches and updates to your backup software and systems to address vulnerabilities and protect them against known exploits.
10. Employee awareness and training: Educate employees about the risks of ransomware and the importance of backups. Teach them to recognize phishing attempts and avoid suspicious links or email attachments that may introduce malware into the network.

Remember, while backups are crucial, it’s also essential to implement a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity, including robust antivirus and anti-malware solutions, network segmentation, user awareness, and incident response plans.

Best Practice: 3-2-1 Backups

The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a best-practice data backup and recovery approach. It emphasizes redundancy and off-site storage to ensure data resilience. Here’s what the numbers represent:

1. 3 copies of your data: Maintain at least three copies of your important data. This includes the original data and two additional copies. Having multiple copies decreases the risk of data loss in case of hardware failure, human error, or malicious activities.
2. 2 different storage media: Store the backup copies on at least two different types of storage media. For example, you could use a combination of external hard drives, network-attached storage (NAS), tapes, or cloud storage. This approach reduces the likelihood of all backups being affected by a single failure or vulnerability.
3. 1 off-site backup: Keep at least one copy of your backup data away from the primary location. This safeguards against theft, natural disasters, or physical damage that could impact your on-site backups. Cloud storage or off-site data centers are commonly used for this purpose.

Adhering to the 3-2-1 backup strategy increases the likelihood of recovering your data in case of unexpected incidents or data loss scenarios. Regularly test your backup and recovery processes to ensure the integrity and availability of your backups.

Prepare Today to Protect Tomorrow

In an era where ransomware attacks continue to pose a significant threat to organizations worldwide, protecting your agency’s data is paramount. Following the advice in this blog can significantly enhance your agency’s ability to combat ransomware attacks and safeguard your valuable data. Remember, investing in proactive measures today can save you from the potentially devastating consequences of a ransomware attack tomorrow.

Contact your IT organization and review these practices as well as the whole of your agency’s cyber security posture. While cyber security is not an “IT problem,” they are certainly the staff that can facilitate actions to increase your readiness.

If your agency is a GSRMA member, contact your Risk Control Advisor for further assistance and review GSRMA’s Cyber Risk Self-assessment!