We have witnessed firsthand the speed with which a pandemic spreads and can take over our lives. This is something we have learned over the past 16 month. Most people feel ready to return to normal after a year of wearing masks, avoiding high-risk areas, and are now ready to go. However, they still have to remember how devastating it can be if a virus gets a foothold, and causes serious problems if it is not dealt with. Because we have experienced it, we know.Covid-19 caused a near-complete shut down of all major economies, an overburdened healthcare system, and a host of political and moral problems over how to protect people and defeat the virus. As the world nears the end of the coronavirus era, another pandemic is threatening the planet: ransomware.Before I get started, let me say that I do not take this lightly. I also don't want anyone to forget that over 184 million people have been affected by COVID-19 and nearly 4 million of them have died. However, I want to emphasize the fact that ransomware has increased by 500% since the inception of COVID-19.We hope that the lessons learned from this pandemic will be useful in helping us to prepare for the next. Problem is, the next pandemic has already arrived. It's not viral, it's digital.REvil, a Russian-linked hacking group appeared to have attacked at least 20 managed service providers over the holiday weekend. These providers provide IT and backend security services for small and medium-sized businesses. This is the same group that attacked one of the most important meatpacking companies in America. This news comes just a few days after another group shut down Colonial Pipeline earlier in the year, disrupting the east coast.Ransomware attacks involve a hacker installing malware on a network to prevent the owner from accessing their devices or data. They will kidnap you and demand ransom to unlock your network. Coop, a Swedish grocery chain, had to close 800 of its stores after a hack forced it to shut down its payment processing system.The fact that the attackers targeted trusted software, which is often used to protect computers and networks from malicious attacks, complicates the situation. According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, (CISA), attackers were able export a vulnerability in Kaseya VSA against multiple managed service providers and their customers.In other words, the attackers could have infiltrated the source code of thousands of programs used across many networks. This latest incident is very similar to the SolarWinds hack last year. However, the hackers were able largely to stop the attack before they could gain full control of the targeted networks.Although it is impossible to completely eliminate ransomware risks, there are some things you can do that will make your network less attractive. Attackers are usually looking for high-value targets that have easy-to exploit vulnerabilities.Backups OfflineBackup your system on a regular basis to protect yourself from ransomware. These backups should then be kept offline to prevent ransomware from targeting them. It will take some effort to get a copy all your data. However, it will be much easier than paying a ransom to restore it.Restriction of PermissionsSecurity experts generally recommend that users only have the minimum privileges necessary to perform their jobs. Malicious software cannot take control of a computer in many cases if it doesn't have root access.Maintain software up-to-dateAlthough we have seen malicious code stealthig legitimate software in some cases, it is generally safer to keep your systems up-to-date. This includes security patches for your operating systems, and anti-virus software that can remove malware.Do not click on unidentified links
