Data Safety considering Ransomware

This paper focuses on the impact of ransomware on data security, reasons responsible for cyber security issues, risk mitigation strategies, and data safety measures to protect data from cyber security threats.

DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
Data Safety considering Ransomware
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
Executive Summary
The purpose of this the paper is to focus on the on the impact of ransomware on data security.
The impact of ransomware in a computer network is described in a professional way in this
paper. This paper focuses on the reasons which are responsible for the cyber security issues.
The most infected organization or the areas are also mentioned in this paper. The other
objective of this paper is to focus on the risk mitigation strategies of ransomware. The paper
helps in identifying all the data safety measure which can be incorporated to the computer
systems which can help us to protect our data from the cyber security threats such as the
ransomeware.
The recommendation unit of the paper will be focusing on all the measures which are needed
to be taken so that the problem related to the data security and data integrity can be
maintained. The impact of ransomware on the business enterprises and the personal homes
are described in this paper briefly along with that the working principals of the cyber
criminals who spreads ransomeware is also mentioned in this paper. The paper will be
concluding about the impact of ransomware on our society and the need for maintaining the
risk mitigation strategies so that this malware program can be contained to a significant
extent.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................1
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Recommendation......................................................................................................................11
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
Reference..................................................................................................................................14
Appendix..................................................................................................................................16

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Introduction
Ransomware is defined as a type of malware program which is designed and spread
unethically by the cyber criminals. These program takes hold of the access to the operating
system and encrypts the data. The infected users of those operating systems had to pay a
ransom amount to decrypt their data. The cyber criminals sometimes blackmail the users of
those infected systems by partially decrypting the encrypted data (Goldshmid 2018). The
decrypted data was sent the same way it was stolen from those systems.
There are different categories of ransomware which were affecting 74 countries such
as the Wannacry ransomware, lock screen ransomware, encrypting ransomware. Later
different risk mitigation steps were adopted by different organizations so that they can deal
with the issue.
The foremost determination of this paper is to focus on the security of data
considering the cyber security attacks. The cyber security attacks such as the ransomware
attacks is a major source of concern for every business organization which considers data as
one of their assets. The ransomware is one of the most disruptive types of attack and was
infecting millions of peoples all over the world. There was a time when these cyber security
attacks were increasingly hugely (Lynch 2017). The SMA or the small and medium sized
enterprises were most affected by it. More than 74 countries allover world had a direct impact
of the ransomware. The organization where data is an asset and works on smaller budget and
resources had great difficulty in dealing with these kinds of cyber security issues. Data
security and data recovery is an important issue considering the threat coming from
Ransomware.
The security and the safety of the data are very important these days due to the
increasing number of cyber-attacks. The data which are circulated in a business environment,

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government offices, embassies of other countries or in a public sector industry are not very
much safe due to the increasing number of attacks coming from the cyber criminals.
At the same time, it can be also said that the measures for which data security can be
maintained can be risky for the users as well as the measures have their own limitations
which can have a separate problem for the users.
Data security is one of the most important aspect of every organization which deals
with both structured and unstructured data. Both the physical files and the digital files are
important for the growth and development of the organization which deals with data.
According to Martin et al. (2017) Our data is not all safe from the attacks of
ransomware as the cybercriminals who are spreading this program is well equipped against
all different types of risk mitigation steps. It can be said that the ransomeware can also infect
the encrypted drives which were supposed to store any kinds of data safely. The data which
are stored in the cloud services are also vulnerable to ransomeware. The new and innovative
strategies are adopted by these cybercriminals so the effectiveness of the risk mitigation
strategies should be also checked frequently so that the risk mitigation steps can be updated
accordingly Any kinds of unauthorized access can be very much harmful for both personal
and professional point of view considering data security against ransomwaree. Data
disclosure is also a very important aspect considering the data security of the business
organizations (Mohurle and Patil 2017). Authorization of data is very much essential for
those organizations. Modification of the data can also a source of a problem in every big and
small business organizations. The modification of data may mislead the authorities to a huge
extent, data should be protected from unauthorized access. The three different types of data
security components are:

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DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
Confidentiality: The attack of ransomware can ensure that the data is not safe from
unauthorized access, cyber criminals can extend their impact on an already infected system or
an organization as a whole.
Integrity: The integrity of the data is not maintained while a system is affected by the
cyber criminals with the help of the ransomware program. The accuracy of the data is not
maintained even after the stolen data is returned in exchange of the ransom amount (Castro,
Cartwright and Stepanova 2018). The data which once falls under the prey of ransomware
can have the possibility of getting corrupted as soon as it is returned back to the users.
Availability: Data reliability is one of the most important aspect of a business
organizations which is impacted hugely due to the impact of the ransomware attack. The data
security standard has to be maintained by all the organizations which have to deal with
essential data which can directly or indirectly help them in the growth and development of
the organization.
On the other hand there are other aspects of data security considering the effect of
ransomware. The spreading of the ransomeware was increasing and the data security of
different business organizations was at stake. It can be seen that the data security components
are not followed in every organization which deals with raw data. Raw data are the most
vulnerable to the cyber criminals.
Based on the different perspectives of data security it can be seen that there are
different aspects of data security which are seriously needed to be considered so that the data
can be kept safe from the major cyber security issues such as the ransomeware.
The reasons behind the rise of ransomware in the organizations which deal with data
are as followings:

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DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
Bitcoins
The application of bitcoins in various types of online business which deals with data
such as the gaming and lottery websites (Bhardwaj 2017). The use of bitcoins in these
industries were very much important for the cybercriminals as the ransom amount is paid in
the form of bitcoins only. The ransom demands were fulfilled most with the help of the
bitcoins.
RaaS
The organizations such as the retail banks, healthcare industries, transportations
industries, agricultural industry and the entertainment industry uses a service known as the
RaaS which is the other reason behind the wide spreading of the ransomware attack. The
systems which are involved in the storing of the data sometimes lacked the runtime detection
capabilities which is the other important reasons behind the limited detection of the cyber
security threats such as the ransomware (Osborne 2018). The opening of the spammed emails
is the other essential factor regarding the spreading of the cyber threats. The data security of
the systems was negatively impacted with the help of the ransomware issues.
Crypto malware
This is a type of encryptions which have a huge damage to all the organizations
which deals with data. The security of the data is compromised if this type of malware is used
for infecting this system (Formby, Durbha and Beyah 2017). The important files are
sometimes lost when this type of malware is used for data encryption. The iCloud account
holders are were very much affected by the
Mac Ransomware

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The apple devices are also very much prone to the threats coming from the
ransomware.
Prevention of Ransomware
The following ways will guide the readers of this document to have an idea about the
preventive mechanisms of ransomware program.
Data Backup
The most sensitive and the valuable files are the mostly impacted due to the attack of
the ransomware. Creation of a backup support is one of the most important preventive
measures considering data security. This is a type of precautionary step which can be actively
used by all the users of the computer systems which deals with both structured and
unstructured data. The use of the cloud services for storing the backup files should be
practiced more in order to protect the data from the cyber criminals (Scaife et al. 2016). The
invasion of the criminals will not be having an effect if the essential data are stored in the
cloud services.
Along with that it can be said that separate investments are required for the additional
backup of data due to the complexities like ransomeware.
Filtering of the Spam emails
Botnets and spam emails are actively used by the cybercriminals to spread this
disease. The email attachments should only be opened or downloaded if the there is adequate
data security measure in a computer system. The most important aspect of this data
prevention technique is the identification of the spam emails. The efficient identification of
the spam email is very much important for maintaining the security of the data. The antispam
filters are very much important as a preventive technique from the ransomware. The phishing

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DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
simulation tests are also an efficient technique for this deadly malware program. Robust
filtering process should be encouraged in every computer system which deals with essential
data. The data which are circulated from one organization to another or which are circulated
within the organization can be successfully maintained with the help of a filtering process
which is known as Robust filtering (Sharma, Zawar and Patil 2016). The robust filtering
process can be effectively used for reducing the chances of attack, it helps in the significant
reduction of the emails which contains the malicious programs attached to it.
Firewall Protection:
The encryption process of the ransomware can be effectively impacted with the help
of the ransomware. The control servers can be impacted with the incorporation of the
firewall. The encryption process can be hampered with the help of the firewall. The attack
coming from the ransomware can be impacted with the help of the firewall.
Along with that it can be said that firewall block few websites or applications which
are sometimes very much needed to be used by the users. The limitations of firewall should
be checked by the concerned authorities so that they can actually identify the applications or
websites which are vulnerable considering data security.
Blocking risky file extensions
The extensions such as the .zip, .js, .exe, .rar., ,docm, .rtf., .vbs, .scr, .cmd are very
risky type of attachments and these attachments are the main reasons behind the effective
spreading of the ransom Trojan horses. These harmful extensions should be blocked so that
the security of the data is maintained.
On the other hand, it can be said that many useful applications will be not supported
in a system as it is recommended to block the above discussed extensions.

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Avoid using the remote services
The remote support applications such as the TeamViewer can be effectively used by
the cybercriminals to deal with the internal security of systems. So these remote applications
should be avoided purposefully avoided so that the essential data can be saved from the cyber
criminals.
Along with that it can be also said that separate knowledge is required for using the
application such as TeamViewer. This is a very important limitation of the remote services
and special attention should be drawn so that the desired objectives of these remote services
can be achieved.
Decryption ransomware tools
The application of the decryption ransomware tools is important for all the infected
computer systems. It has the capability to block the access to the data which are about to be
accessed by the cyber criminals.
Along with that it should be also stated that there are many complicated issues such as
the API issues associated with the ransomware tools. These issues can create more problems
while solving the problem of data security.
Restriction on code execution
The users of the organizations which deals with data should be having a restriction on
the execution of the codes as the ransomware are designed in such a way that they have the
capability to access the files and folders.

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Updating of the software
The software which are used in our computer systems should be updated, as the
updated versions sometimes have an internal security measure which can help the user to
tackle with problem of ransomware. The use of the lockers is the other source of threat
coming from the ransomware (Thornton, Dworak and Manikas 2017). The use of fake
software’s such as the Scareware is also a reason behind the insecurity of data safety.
Doxware is one of the most important reason behind the incorporation of the ransomware in a
computer system.
The disadvantage of updating the software is the extra data expense, efficient cloud
services can be an alternative for the protection of data.
Restrictions on user controls
The alteration of data is one of the most negative impact of ransomware. If the
essential data is altered in business organizations, then the enterprises can suffer severe
losses. The user controls should be restricted as it would help them in the prevention of
ransomware. Termination of all the systems create a blockage from the ransomware programs
as well.
On the other hand, it can be said that the security of data will not be an issue if there is
a strong alphanumeric password protected platform which have the limited capability against
the threats coming the hackers.
Permission related issues

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The impact of ransomware can be effective reduced with the help of the local
administration rights. The critical components of the ransomware attack can be effectively
reduced if the local administrative rights can be regulated (Georgiou et al. 2018). The power
to change the system files and directories associated with the ransomware attack can be
reduced if the local administration blocks access to the critical system resources and the vital
files which are targeted by the cyber criminals. The encryption process can get complicated
with the help of the local administration.
On the other hand, it can be said that, there are different issues related with the
association of the location governments with the data, as they are the mostly corrupted
sometimes.
According to Bertino and Islam (2017) security of data is a huge issues considering
the cyber security attacks such as the ransomeware. Data management is an important issue
for all the organizations which deals with structured and unstructured data. The author of this
article provided in-depth knowledge about the cyber trust which is very important for the
protection of data. The authors of this article has provided information about the network
behavior analysis which is important to understand the nature of the network. The risks
coming from the ransomeware in data security are mentioned in this paper with prime
importance. The drawback of this paper is that it do not focuses on the impact of ransomware
on any particular organization.
Recommendation
This section of the paper will be focusing on the steps which are very much required
after a ransomware attack. Identification of the ransomware is one of the most important step
after the data’s are successfully recovered from the cyber criminals. The identification of the
ransomware can be successfully achieved with the help of the free online service platform

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DATA SAFETY CONSIDERING RANSOMWARE
which is known as the ID Ransomware. After successfully identifying the infected computer,
the ransomware detection tools must be checked which is already integrated into our system,
if it is not integrated in our system then it should be installed as it would help those systems
from getting infected from the malicious programs such as the ransomware. The data which
were not controlled by the cyber criminals should be kept away from the system and the data
which are recovered from the criminals should be also checked whether it possess any kinds
of threats to the computer system.
Kaspersky windows un locker should be installed in every computer system which
work on essential data. It is sometimes very much helpful for protection of data due to its
high security measures. The cyber-crime cells should be alerted after the data is recovered so
that they can take all the precautionary steps so that they can save the other peoples who were
about to get infected due to the effect of this deadly malware program. BYOD or the Bring
Your Own Device Policy should be incorporated in most of the business enterprises as this
policy is very much effective to deal with the advanced cyber securities attacks such as
Ransomware which is used by the cyber criminals to hamper data safety.
Conclusion
From the above report it, can be concluded that home users and the small and medium
sized enterprises are the most important targets of the cyber criminals as most of them do not
have a data backup every time due to various reasons. The increasing threat to the data
security due to the ransomware can be decreased with the help of awareness of cyber security
education. Online safety awareness measures should be considered every entity which are
dedicatedly working with structured and unstructured data. Cyber protection is one of the
other security measure considering data security in a business enterprise.

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The use of the free and infective anti-virus software’s should be discouraged as they
are really not very effective against the ransomware programs due to its enhanced
specifications. Social engineering tactics should be practiced in order to save the data from
the cyber criminals. The ransomware has the capability of infecting the data as well as the
server which can also indirectly effect the data at some point of time so along with the
security of the data, security of the servers should also be maintained so that overall security
is maintained in the environment. The cloud based file sharing systems are also vulnerable to
the ransomware attacks also, which are actively used for the data security purposes so it is the
responsibility of the cloud based service providers to increase their security level so that the
data which are stored in their premises are saved from these malware programs.

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Reference
Bertino, E. and Islam, N., 2017. Botnets and internet of things security. Computer, (2), pp.76-
79.
Bhardwaj, A. (2017). Ransomware: A Rising Threat of new age Digital Extortion.
Castro, J., Cartwright, E. and Stepanova, A. (2018). Economic Analysis of Ransomware.
Formby, D., Durbha, S. and Beyah, R., 2017. Out of control: Ransomware for industrial
control systems. RSA.
Georgiou, A., Magrabi, F., Hypponen, H., Wong, Z.S.Y., Nykänen, P., Scott, P.J.,
Ammenwerth, E. and Rigby, M., 2018. The Safe and Effective Use of Shared Data
Underpinned by Stakeholder Engagement and Evaluation Practice. Yearbook of medical
informatics.
Goldshmid, E. (2018). Suspected virus could be ransomware, but can be handled without
paying.
Lynch, M. (2017). What Are the Benefits of Digital Textbooks?.
Martin, G., Martin, P., Hankin, C., Darzi, A. and Kinross, J., 2017. Cybersecurity and
healthcare: how safe are we?. Bmj, 358, p.j3179.
Mohurle, S. and Patil, M. (2017). A brief study of Wannacry Threat: Ransomware Attack
2017.
Osborne, C. (2018). US hospital pays $55,000 to hackers after ransomware attack.

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Scaife, N., Carter, H., Traynor, P. and Butler, K.R., 2016, June. Cryptolock (and drop it):
stopping ransomware attacks on user data. In Distributed Computing Systems (ICDCS), 2016
IEEE 36th International Conference on (pp. 303-312). IEEE.
Sharma, M.P., Zawar, M.S. and Patil, S.B., 2016. Ransomware Analysis: Internet of Things
(Iot) Security Issues, Challenges and Open Problems Inthe Context of Worldwide Scenario of
Security of Systems and Malware Attacks. Int. J. Innov. Res. n Sci. Eng, 2(3), pp.177-184.
Thornton, M.A., Dworak, J. and Manikas, T., 2017. RANSOMWARE DETECTION USING
MACHINE LEARNING AND PHYSICAL SENSOR DATA.

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Appendix
2013 2015 2017
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Increasing use of anti ransomware tools over the years
Lockers Cryptoware Dotox
Figure 1: Increased use of anti-virus tools
(Source: Created by the author)