Network Segregation Is Best Way to Thwart Ransomware Attacks

Network segregation is the most important step a healthcare organization can take to thwart ransomware attacks, commented Kaspersky Lab Senior Security Researcher Brian Bartholomew. “Anything critical should not be directly connected to the internet,�� Bartholomew stressed in a new Kaspersky Lab report Cyber Pulse: The State of Cybersecurity in Healthcare. In addition, healthcare organizations should have a complete backup and recovery plan in place, install antivirus software on endpoints, and train employees about ransomware. “Teaching the users what ransomware looks like, what it does, and how to handle an incident can mean the difference between one system going down or all of them,” Bartholomew said. The report recommended that healthcare IT security teams adopt the following security best practices to prevent ransomware attacks from succeeding: Update regularly computer operating systems on the network to the latest version Use security products with dedicated anti-ransomware technologies Make regular backups of important information and keep several copies in different locations Maintain control over the network by restricting access to information to only employees that need it Don’t pay the ransom Raise awareness about modern cyber threats through trainings and reminders of security protocols