A New Ransomware Awareness Tool is Making the Rounds

Ransomware is such a major problem for computing-dependent organizations that even government agencies are getting involved, equipping businesses and organizations with tools to help themselves identify whether or not they are at risk of these attacks. The most recent addition to this group, the United States’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have made their Ransomware Readiness Assessment, or RRA, available as part of its Cyber Security Awareness Toolset.

This RRA tool allows organizations to perform a self-assessment pertaining to how well they can defend against and respond to ransomware attacks. The tool was developed with the intention of assessing various levels of ransomware preparedness, regardless of where they currently sit in the realm of cybersecurity awareness.

On the agency’s Github page, where the module can be downloaded and installed, CISA describes the module in detail:

• “The Ransomware Readiness Assessment (RRA) will help you understand your cybersecurity posture with respect to the ever-evolving threat of ransomware. The RRA also provides a clear path for improvement and contains an evolving progression of questions tiered by the categories of basic, intermediate, and advanced. This is intended to help an organization improve by focusing on the basics first, and then progressing by implementing practices through the intermediate and advanced categories.”

Why Protect Against Ransomware?

Ransomware threats have really taken off in the past several years, ranging from minor irritations due to encrypted files to major disruptions in infrastructure. Essentially, what happens is that hackers will encrypt your files, locking them up so that you cannot do anything with them until a ransom is paid. Ransomware is even more dangerous these days due to the increasing trend in double-extortion tactics. Businesses used to be able to simply restore a backup from before the ransomware attack, but now that hackers are threatening to release data if they do not receive payment, businesses are put in a tight spot.

Basically, ransomware is kind of a big deal, and the fact that government agencies have taken such an interest in it means that you should, too. If you fail to protect your business from ransomware, you could find yourself staring at a ransom note demanding payment, as well as fines related to data privacy regulations. You don’t want to find yourself in this position if you can help it. We recommend implementing top-notch data security measures and educating your staff on how to avoid security threats of all types, including ransomware.

Let Us Assist Your Anti-Ransomware Efforts

If you don’t want to run this assessment yourself, Horne & Benik is happy to help you perform an analysis of how well you can respond not only to ransomware but any security threat out there. To learn more about the services we offer and what we can do for your organization, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.