Executive Summary
With many of us still working from home and in various other places, the threat landscape continues to evolve and expand with more sophisticated attacks and evasive techniques that are easier to execute when people are not operating within the traditional perimeter. Forrester recently cited that 74% of organizations have indicated that they have suffered a business-impacting cyberattack attributed to remote work vulnerabilities. Ransomware is one of the most chilling forms of cyber crime organizations face today, and it’s not going away. FortiGuard Labs reports a sevenfold increase in ransomware activity in December compared to July 2020. A global ransomware survey also showed that 67% of organizations have been a ransomware target—with nearly half saying they had been targeted more than once.
These days, malware can gain access to a system in a number of ways, often with a simple click or even no click at all. After it lands, the attacker tries to spread their malware laterally to gain a foothold in every network they can, even from roaming endpoints. Because attacks are so prevalent, organizations need to be prepared—they need to have strategies in place to address issues before, during, and after an attack, especially in the face of ransomware. Many mature enterprises already have incident response plans built into their security strategies. Organizations can take steps to reduce the risk and scope of potential incidents and secure roaming endpoints, no matter if they are at home or the airport.
A global ransomware survey also showed that 67% of organizations have been a ransomware target — with nearly half saying they had been targeted more than once.
Introduction
As attacks increase, they tend to come through multiple vectors utilizing various techniques, from Trojans to fileless scripts. Workers often fail to recognize phishing attempts, traverse unsafe non-work sites, spend time on social media, and download music and videos throughout the week, whether at home or in the office. These are all opportunities to infect the device even when they are not the intended target of an attack.
Additionally, attackers take the time to do reconnaissance on specific job roles to infiltrate the larger networks (when workers reconnect). Once they get in, they may lurk in the environment for weeks at a time, mapping it out and circumventing security controls. This time gives them the opportunity to drop ransomware payloads and figure out ways to exfiltrate data, and then hold that information hostage as well. The longer attackers lurk, the more damage they can eventually do. Organizations need comprehensive prevention, detection, response, and remediation strategies in place so critical systems can be protected and restored as quickly as possible.
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Protecting the Endpoint To Work From Anywhere
