[BreachExchange] ICIT: Layered Defense Is Only Way To Combat Ransomware

[Audrey McNeil]

http://www.bsminfo.com/doc/icit-layered-defense-is-only-way-to-combat-ransomware-0001

The latest high-profile ransomware attacks have prompted renewed attention
to cybersecurity at the organization and enterprise levels, a trend
accurately predicted in the The Institute for Critical Infrastructure
Technology (ICIT) paper 2016 Will Be the Year Ransomware Holds America
Hostage.

Both the general population and critical infrastructure community have
experienced an alarming number of ransomware incidents that have negatively
impacted computer users everywhere. Now, ICIT has published its most recent
report on this ransomware epidemic, Combatting the Ransomware Blitzkrieg:
The Only Defense is a Layered Defense, Layer One: Endpoint Security.

This report introduces the technical ins and outs of the more prevalent
ransomware variants, as well as other endpoints vulnerable to ransomware
attack such as SCADA/ICS, IoT, Cars, Cloud, Servers, Specialized hardware,
Personal Computers, and the most easily exploitable vulnerability, the
Human.

Ransomware, the weaponization of encryption, has struck fear and confusion
into the hearts of PC users and critical infrastructure communities alike.
While it is impossible for organizations to prevent malware from infecting
their networks, those who deploy a multi-layered security strategy and
teach proper cybersecurity hygiene to their employees have a strong chance
of defending against these types of attacks.

The report highlights Cyber Hygiene and Security Centric strategies that
minimize any organization's exploitable attack surface in order to thwart
not only ransomware but virtually any malware or attack by Script Kiddies,
State Sponsored APT’s, Cyber Jihadists and Sophisticated Mercenary Hackers.

The report concludes, “Combatting the ransomware Blitzkrieg requires the
techno-synthesis that only occurs between the layers of a properly
customized cybersecurity strategy. The cyber-physical convergence with the
internet of things demands a cyber hygienic and security centric
counterbalance to the hyper evolving threat landscape.”

The only effective defense against the never ending threat of cyber attacks
is a layered defense, of which endpoint security is an essential layer that
offers a potent ingredient for nextgen cyber fortification.
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