Ransomware Is Not Dead - It's Evolving and Targeting Businesses

By Carla Barata • March 7, 2019

Have you heard? Ransomware is not considered dead; despite what some would say. It’s still here, and it’s constantly evolving – Now more focused on businesses.

Ransomware has plagued people for a very long time, but it has only recently gained momentum that has taken it into the world of businesses.

So, how does that work and why it’s essential for you to know? And more importantly, how can you protect your company against these attacks?

The Recent Evolution of this Cyber Threat

Ransomware in 2017

2017 was the worst year when it comes to ransomware – the attacks were more successful than ever. Ransomware is targeting businesses soared up by 90% in 2017.

That year saw the likes of NotPetya and WannaCry high-profile attacks that made ransomware in 2017 so notorious.

NotPetya was successful even before it became NotPetya. It was just Petya and targeted people through email attachments. But the NotPetya was an even more damaging version that was more efficient – which is why Kaspersky Lab gave it the name to distinguish it from the regular Petya ransomware.

WannaCry is disastrous as it’s still attacking people. At its heyday in May 2017, it affected more than 300,000 computers, and some 200,000 became its victims. The WannaCry worm was already dealt with as Microsoft had released patches for its operating system that eliminated the possibility of this ransomware successfully affecting a Windows-operated system. However, The central problem here was that many people and businesses did not install the patch, and they ended up becoming the victims of WannaCry.

Remember that this is the most common dilemma for many – failing to update their security systems or use appropriate business email protection. That’s because ransomware thrives from human negligence and a lack of effective email security measures.

Ransomware in 2018

2018 was a bit better – there were not as many overly successful ransomware attacks. The problem is that most of the threats started evolving in the meantime.

Many threats have vanished, like the Locky ransomware that attacked several American hospitals and used a wide variety of methods. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t come back.

The numbers of ransomware attacks fell by a bit in overall numbers, but it remains among the top cyber threats in the world.

And it’s now using different methods. Targeted ransomware attacks are becoming a more common thing, and the problem with them is that they are designed for a specific victim and are thus ideal for attacking businesses. Furthermore, they are targeting different devices, especially newer ones that are only now connected to the Internet.

How Can You Protect Your Business from Ransomware?

With ransomware being a threat that continues to evolve, it’s essential for you to protect your business in all the ways that can help.

Without proper email security methods, your business can easily suffer an attack and thus a tremendous data loss which always transfers to a massive decline in profits.

In addition to business email protection software, you need to lecture your employees on what ransomware is, how it functions, and what they need to do to protect themselves.

With all of these methods combined, you’ll be able to survive the evolving ransomware threat that’s certainly not showing any sign of stopping.

Learn how Mail Protection Service powered by AnubisNetworks can provide ransomware protection. Try it for free now!

Anubis Networks