Ransomware attacks are a growing threat to businesses of all sizes, and MSPs need to be on the front lines of defense. A recent report by Barracuda, the Threat Spotlight on Ransomware, highlights some of the latest trends in ransomware attacks, including a rise in attacks against healthcare organizations and a diversification of targets.
The report found that 21% of ransomware attacks in the past year targeted healthcare organizations, up from 18% the year before. This is likely due to the fact that healthcare organizations often have sensitive data that attackers can hold hostage. The education sector, on the other hand, saw a decrease in attacks, dropping from 18% to 9%. This may be due to increased security awareness in the education sector.
Another key finding of the report is that ransomware attacks are becoming more diversified. In the past, ransomware attackers tended to focus on a small number of sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and government. However, the report found that 42% of ransomware attacks in the past year targeted industries outside of these traditional sectors. This means that no organization is safe from a ransomware attack.
The report also identifies Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) models as a major threat. RaaS models allow attackers to rent access to ransomware tools and infrastructure. This makes it easier for attackers to launch ransomware attacks, even if they don’t have a lot of technical expertise.
Some of the most common RaaS models include LockBit, ALPHV (BlackCat), and Rhysida. These RaaS models have been used to target a wide range of organizations, including healthcare providers, municipalities, and businesses.
So, what can MSPs do to help their clients protect themselves from ransomware attacks?
Here are a few tips:
- Educate employees about cybersecurity: Employees are often the weakest link in an organization’s security posture. MSPs can help their clients educate their employees about ransomware attacks and how to avoid them.
- Implement security measures: There are a number of security measures that can help to protect organizations from ransomware attacks, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data encryption. MSPs can help their clients implement these security measures.
- Have a backup and recovery plan: If an organization is hit by a ransomware attack, it is important to have a plan for restoring their data. MSPs can help their clients develop and test backup and recovery plans.
By following these tips, MSPs can help their clients protect themselves from the growing threat of ransomware attacks.
In addition to the above, the Barracuda Threat Spotlight on Ransomware also found that lateral movement is a top indicator of ransomware activity. Lateral movement is when attackers move from one compromised device to another within a network. By monitoring for lateral movement, organizations can detect ransomware attacks early and prevent them from doing too much damage.
The full Barracuda Threat Spotlight on Ransomware can be found here.
