How to react to a ransomware attack?

Reacting quickly: a vital reflex for your organization

With a 93% increase in ransomware attacks in the 2nd half of 2022, knowing how to respond has become essential for businesses. What’s more, the “Double Extortion” technique, where attackers steal sensitive data before launching the actual attack, in order to be able to blackmail (threat of disclosure on the Dark Web), makes the situation even more critical.

The first steps

As soon as you realize that your organization has been infected, there’s not a second to lose. Isolating affected systems is the first step in preventing a dramatic spread of ransomware (note that isolating does not mean unplugging!) Next, reporting the attack to the authorities can not only help you identify the culprits, but also obtain a decryption key. This may be an option worth considering. It’s also important to identify and deactivate “Patient Zero” (the source of the infection) to prevent it spreading throughout the company.

Preparing to recover your information systems

Backups are often the first line of defense against ransomware attacks. Make sure you secure your backups and have a password-protected, offline copy. In addition, disabling all maintenance tasks is essential. And finally, knowing how to restore your backups correctly will be your lifeline in this type of situation. Make sure you restore healthy backups!

Contact a data recovery expert

If your data has been encrypted or damaged, we strongly advise you to call in a data recovery expert like SOS Ransomware. They have the experience and tools needed to restore your files. We offer you a fast, efficient intervention, without paying the ransom, and guarantee the confidentiality of your data.

Here is an overview of the actions we can perform:

• Repair structural damage caused by encryption to critical files such as virtual disks, backup files and databases.
• Reverse the damage caused by the threat actor by using or modifying decryptors.
• Repair corrupted files after decryption.
• Recover old or other versions of data that have not been affected
• Search for alternative data sources, such as magnetic tapes and cloud resources.
• etc… We won’t reveal all our cards here, but we can show you some of the resolution cases we’ve dealt with. Contact us to find out more.

Isolate infected systems

To prevent ransomware spreading to other systems or networks, it’s important to isolate infected systems by disconnecting them from the Internet and other devices. You should also avoid rebooting or shutting down infected systems, as this could complicate data recovery. Keep in mind that isolating does not mean unplugging!

Analyze infected systems

To identify the type of ransomware and its characteristics, you still need to scan infected systems with up-to-date antivirus or antimalware software. There are also websites that can help identify ransomware based on the ransom message or the extension of encrypted files.

Understanding the extent of the infection

Determine which files, devices or systems have been affected, as well as the ransomware strain in question. This information can help you determine the best course of action for your recovery.

Keeping proof

Keep a copy of the ransom note, suspicious e-mails or attachments, as well as anything else related to the attack. These items could assist cybersecurity professionals or law enforcement in their investigation and recovery efforts.

Restore data from backups

If you have recent, reliable backups of your data, you can try to restore them to healthy systems. However, you need to make sure that the backups have not been compromised and that they are compatible with the target systems. You should also check that the restored data are intact and functional. Our data recovery expertise can help you at this stage to avoid any irreversible manipulation.

Call in a data recovery expert

If your backups are insufficient or non-existent, you can call on a data recovery expert like Recoveo, who has the experience and tools to restore your files without paying the ransom. Recoveo offers fast, efficient intervention, and guarantees the confidentiality of your data. Our experts will give you a clear picture of the options available to you.