Book Image

Preventing Ransomware

By : Abhijit Mohanta, Mounir Hahad, Kumaraguru Velmurugan
Book Image

Preventing Ransomware

By: Abhijit Mohanta, Mounir Hahad, Kumaraguru Velmurugan

Overview of this book

<p><span id="description" class="sugar_field">Ransomware has turned out to be the most aggressive malware and has affected numerous organizations in the recent past. The current need is to have a defensive mechanism in place for workstations and servers under one organization.</span></p> <p><span class="sugar_field"><span id="description" class="sugar_field">This book starts by explaining the basics of malware, specifically ransomware. The book provides some quick tips on malware analysis and how you can identify different kinds of malware. We will also take a look at different types of ransomware, and how it reaches your system, spreads in your organization, and hijacks your computer. We will then move on to how the ransom is paid and the negative effects of doing so. You will learn how to respond quickly to ransomware attacks and how to protect yourself. The book gives a brief overview of the internals of security software and Windows features that can be helpful in ransomware prevention for administrators. You will also look at practical use cases in each stage of the ransomware phenomenon. The book talks in detail about the latest ransomware attacks involving WannaCry, Petya, and BadRabbit.</span></span></p> <p><span id="description" class="sugar_field">By the end of this book, you will have end-to-end knowledge of the trending malware in the tech industry at present.</span></p>
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Title Page
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Index

7. Summary


Ransomware, like other malware, evolves with time. The techniques of infection will always change with changes in technology, security enhancements, and the psychology of people. Most of the techniques explained in this chapter are explained in the context of the Windows operating system. But, similar techniques are used for other platforms such as Android, Linux, and Mac. At present, most ransomware is meant for Windows. The reason could be the user base of Windows is quite high. Android is already a target, as the number of Android smartphone users is growing day by day and is continuing its onward march. Android users need to be extremely cautious about how they download apps. Most Mac users are corporate executives. So there could be a rise in infection techniques in Macs sometime soon. So, this chapter was all about introducing the different kinds of ransomware and ways to prevent and remove them.

In the next chapter, we will discuss payment mechanisms used by ransomware....