What is Ransomcloud, and what are its dangers to your business

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous cyberthreats today. In fact, a recent study found that businesses in the United States suffered 22 days of downtime on average after they were hit by a ransomware attack.

Normally, ransomware works by encrypting a computer’s local file system, preventing a user from accessing their data until they pay a ransom. A new strain called ransomcloud, however, can infiltrate cloud-based systems. In this blog, we will discuss how it works and what you can do to protect your systems.

What is Ransomcloud?

Ransomcloud is a ransomware variant that attacks cloud-based platforms such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Ransomcloud attacks leverage phishing emails, or messages that appear to come from trusted entities like banks, business partners, or colleagues to gain the victim’s trust. These emails typically contain a link to a web page that, when clicked on, will ask the user to log in to their account. The fraudulent web page will request permission to access the user’s data, sign into their accounts, and read their calendars and contacts.

Should the user grant these permissions, the ransomcloud will encrypt the user’s emails and files to make them unreadable. It will then demand a ransom for the user to regain access to their data.

What are the dangers of Ransomcloud to your business?

If one of your employees grants ransomcloud access to your systems, they can lose access to their email accounts, messages, contacts, and files. And when your workers cannot access their apps and files, their productivity suffers. Cybercriminals can even send emails as the victim to spread the malware even further across your IT network.

Cybercriminals can also threaten to leak your business’s sensitive data unless a ransom is paid. However, we at NetWize highly discourage you from paying the ransom, as there’s no guarantee that you’ll regain access to your cloud systems. Some cybercriminals may leak your data even if you paid the ransom. Paying also sets a bad precedent because it only encourages cybercriminals to victimize more individuals and businesses.

How can you protect your organization from Ransomcloud attacks?

Keep your business protected from ransomcloud attacks through the following best practices:

1. Deploy role-based access controls (RBAC)

If every employee in your company can access all of your files, cybercriminals will only need to infect one account with ransomcloud to compromise your data.

By implementing RBAC, you can regulate network access based on each employee’s role. This means that a worker can only access the files and applications needed to perform their tasks, thus minimizing the potential damage of ransomcloud.

2. Use multilayered security

Using multiple layers of cybersecurity solutions mitigates the risk of future ransomcloud attacks. Each layer provides an additional level of protection, making it harder for threat actors to infiltrate your cloud systems. Your security framework should include the following:

Email protection solutions: These must have a spam filter, data loss protection, and end-to-end encryption to protect your cloud systems from email-based cyberattacks.
Antivirus software: The best antivirus software should be able monitor your IT infrastructure round the clock to protect against malware.
Intrusion prevention system (IPS): An IPS regularly inspects network traffic to identify vulnerabilities and prevent threat actors from exploiting them.
Web content filtering: This prevents users from accessing malicious websites, thus reducing the risk of a malware infection.

3. Create offline backups

Back up your important data in external hard drives, DVDs, or flash drives, as they cannot be infected by ransomcloud. Alternatively, you can partner with a reliable managed IT services provider like NetWize. We will store your files in our secure off-site servers and monitor them round the clock to prevent any issues.

4. Educate your employees

Because ransomcloud attacks use phishing emails, teach everyone in your organization how to recognize these messages. For instance, you can train them to be wary of messages that ask for their login credentials or permission to access their data.

You should also teach your staff to use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication. Lastly, conduct cybersecurity awareness training regularly to help your employees identify and avoid the latest cyberthreats.

NetWize offers reliable protection from cloud-based threats like ransomcloud. We will monitor your cloud systems 24/7 and make sure that issues are taken care of before they cause productivity-crippling downtime. Get your FREE IT assessment from us today.

What is Riskware, and what are the dangers to your business?

You use several computer programs every day to do work. But did you know that some of them can pose potential security risks? In this blog, we will talk about riskware, how it works, how you can spot them, and what you can do to prevent future riskware attacks.

What is riskware?

Riskware is any legitimate program that poses security risks due to software incompatibilities, security vulnerabilities, or legal violations. Most of the time, riskware is not inherently malicious, but only has functionalities that cybercriminals can exploit. When used with ill intentions, however, riskware can be considered as malware.

How does riskware work?

Computer programs typically have some level of system access to function properly. For example, they may have permission to monitor user activity or access the computer’s built-in microphone.

Some functions that can be abused by cybercriminals include:

Access to the system kernel, or the core component of an operating system (OS)
Access to data-gathering components such as the camera, microphone, and GPS
Access to critical system areas like the system registry and Internet Protocols
Program modification for changing program settings or modifying its code

How does riskware affect your business?

Riskware poses legality and security issues such as:

1. Privacy invasion

Cybercriminals can use riskware to spy on you. For example, some remote work monitoring apps use GPS data to record an employee’s location. If a cybercriminal exploits one of the app’s vulnerabilities, they could use it to spy on your workers’ whereabouts. They can also hijack conferencing programs like Zoom and Teams to commit corporate espionage.

2. Data breaches

Threat actors can use riskware to steal data or install malware onto an unsuspecting user’s system. This leads to significant security incidents, including well-known DDoS attacks as listed by CloudSecureTech, which highlight the importance of cybersecurity vigilance. For instance, if they find a program with File Transfer Protocol enabled, they can install a server that allows them to steal the user’s files. Cybercriminals can also exploit internet relay chat clients’ dialer programs and instant messaging features to create backdoors and deliver malware, such as ransomware.

3. Program exploits

Attackers can misuse and exploit programs like remote access software. This program allows IT personnel to access a user’s computer, then diagnose and fix technical issues. However, if the program has serious vulnerabilities, cybercriminals can use it to hijack the user’s OS.

How can you spot riskware threats?

Since riskware is harmless until used maliciously, spotting them can be difficult. To make finding them easier, take inventory of software programs installed on your computer and ask yourself the following:

1. How did this software end up on my system?

Riskware is typically installed on your OS and granted system access permissions by your IT administrator. If you find a program with permissions that you or your admins did not grant, that’s a red flag.

2. What permissions does this program have?

Check the authorizations your suspicious programs have. For instance, a calculator app should not have access to your device’s registry and contacts.

3. Is this program still supported?

Unsupported programs no longer receive security patches from their developer, so cybercriminals can easily exploit their vulnerabilities to steal sensitive information or install malware. If an app has not been updated in many years, it should be considered as riskware.

4. Does this program violate the terms of service for another app?

Many programs can interact with one another. However, you should avoid the ones that augment or disable the features of another app.

Tips to prevent riskware attacks

Here are some best practices you need to follow to protect your business from riskware attacks:

Limit the number of programs that have admin-level privileges.
Read all of your programs’ terms of service and privacy policies.
Uninstall programs that are preventing others from functioning properly.
Avoid using software that requests unusual permissions.
Download applications from trusted sources only, such as the developer’s website or official app stores.

Let NetWize protect your business from riskware and other potential cyberthreats. Our cybersecurity experts will help you identify vulnerabilities, and install firewalls and intrusion detection tools to protect your business from costly data breaches. Talk to us today to get a FREE IT assessment.