How to Harden Your Data Infrastructure against Ransomware Attacks

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your files and requires payment of a ransom in return for restoring access to your data. As there’s no guarantee that a perpetrator will honor the terms of the ransom, preventing ransomware through cybersecurity best practices and routine snapshots is your best option.

How Ransomware Works

Like all malware, ransomware must be downloaded onto your machine or network for it to gain access to your data. The most common way to contract ransomware is through a downloadable attachment delivered via a phishing email, but thumb drives, compromised apps, infected websites, and insider threats are also viable attack vectors.  

Once downloaded and executed, ransomware encrypts the host system’s files, rendering it computationally inaccessible without the right decryption key. Typically, a ransom note is presented to the owners of the compromised system with details on how and how much to pay to have files released. More sophisticated ransomware can deliver its payload without relying on human error, and instead, by exploiting critical software vulnerabilities in your system.

How to Mitigate Ransomware Attacks

Common methods to prevent ransomware attacks include:

• Keeping your operating system and technology stack up to date to stay ahead of known exploits and vulnerabilities
• Investing in cybersecurity (e.g., InfoSec training, network security audits, and vulnerability testing)
• Controlling access to secure files and data through admin rights and privilege management
• Backing up your files through frequent snapshots and other data protection methods

How Pure Storage Protects Your Data from Ransomware

Conventional data protection measures were designed to safeguard your data from natural or human-made disasters, data corruption, or accidental deletions. However, ransomware attacks can stress existing data protection infrastructure that may be built on legacy architectures, such as disk and tape, more than expected.

Pure Storage® SafeMode™ snapshots provide built-in protection of your data in the event of a ransomware attack by frequently backing up your system to read-only snapshots from which you can recover your data. SafeMode snapshots help secure critical data since they can’t be modified, deleted, or encrypted, even if admin credentials have been compromised. 

Available with FlashBlade® and FlashArray™, SafeMode snapshots are included with the Purity operating environment as part of your Pure subscription.

Fast Ransomware Recovery with Pure Storage Protects Your Data from Ransomware

When ransomware strikes, you need to restore your data quickly. But legacy systems and purpose-built appliances are notoriously slow and not designed for recovery. Rapid Restore, powered by Pure FlashBlade systems, dramatically increases the speed of data restoration without the need to change your backup software. FlashBlade delivers Rapid Restore petabyte recovery at scale with up to 270TB/hr data recovery performance.