Ransomware Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Save Your Data

Summary

Ransomware attacks are on the rise and affected up to 85% of companies surveyed in 2022. While some companies chose to pay the ransom, a significant number of those companies still failed to get their data back, and several fell victim to a second attack. Ransomware can cripple a company, so it’s essential that you prepare by implementing strong cybersecurity measures, a comprehensive backup strategy and a robust incident response plan. Companies should rigorously check backup integrity and practice their incident response. They must know how to recover from a ransomware incident as quickly and effectively as possible.

Learn more about ransomware best practices and how to protect your organization.

What is Ransomware Recovery?

One of the biggest threats facing businesses today is ransomware. According to the 2023 Data Protection Trends report, the number of companies successfully attacked increased from 76% in 2021 to 85% in 2022. Staggeringly, only 55% of encrypted data was recoverable. On average, affected companies lost 45% of their data.

Several types of ransomware exist. Generally, cybercriminals lock users out of their machines and encrypt data to extort substantial sums of money. Scareware and doxware are other types of ransomware that threaten to leak private information unless victims pay a ransom.

Ransomware recovery is a set of deliberate actions companies take to mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks. Based on the assumption that hackers will succeed in encrypting  company data, organizations implement a system of immutable data backups and configuration snapshots that allow them to rebuild their systems. Successful ransomware recovery depends on the effectiveness of an organization’s backup and data protection processes and what was affected during the ransomware attack.

Prepare for Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware preparation is part of business continuity planning and the risk of an attack is high. A successful attack could cause significant data loss and the inability for your business to continue as an ongoing concern.

Preparation for a ransomware attack requires a comprehensive recovery plan. This plan should be regularly reviewed and thoroughly tested. It should incorporate ransomware prevention best practices, including strong cybersecurity measures and a comprehensive backup strategy.

Implement Strong Cybersecurity Measures

Your first step should be to harden your network against unauthorized access and securing your systems from hackers. Key steps include:

Create a Comprehensive Backup Strategy

Hackers recognize the importance of backups and specifically target them and backup servers. Create a secure and comprehensive backup strategy and consider these points when developing your own backup plan.

How to Detect Ransomware Incidents

Early detection of a ransomware infection is crucial and can prevent a full-blown ransomware attack. A ransomware attack goes through several stages. This includes initial entry or infection, reconnaissance and staging and, finally, data encryption. If you can detect this activity, you can isolate the affected machines and minimize the impact of an attack. Here are three techniques to help:

What to Do When Responding to Ransomware Attacks

Respond promptly and decisively to a ransomware attack. The quicker your response, the better, especially if you can act before the bad actor encrypts your data. Here are five steps you can take to respond:

Ransomware Recovery Strategies

Your recovery strategy can be influenced by several factors, including:

Here we explore several options, including using backups, paying the ransom, ransomware decryption tools and ransomware service providers.

Restore Data from Backups

Explore Paying the Ransom

The decision to pay the ransom is always difficult and affected companies need to weigh the risks and consequences of paying it. While the FBI does not support paying a ransom, the 2023 Ransomware Trends Report from Veeam shows that 80% of victims still decided to pay it. Reasons for negotiating with ransomware operators include:

There is ample evidence to suggest that paying the ransom is not the end of the story, however. Of those who paid the ransom, we found that 25% still did not recover their data. Plus, 80% of companies that paid the ransom were hit by a second ransomware attack later on.

Companies should investigate options that eliminate any possible need to pay the ransom.

Utilize Decryption Tools and Techniques

Sometimes, it’s possible to decrypt ransomware files and success largely depends on the type of ransomware and the availability of suitable tools. Kaspersky, Avast and Bitdefender have decryption tools to help with some kinds of ransomware. However, the most successful cybercriminals use strong encryption methods with 128-bit and 256-bit encryption tools. It is almost impossible to break this level of encryption. However, experts have discovered flaws in certain forms of ransomware that allow users to decrypt their files.

Work with Ransomware Recovery Services

If you want to decrypt your files, it may be better to work with a professional ransomware recovery service provider. Some companies have developed an enviable reputation for this, while others have not. So, before engaging with these services, evaluate their expertise. It’s best to deal with reputable professionals who will assess your situation and give an honest answer to whether they can recover your data. The best service providers have global operations with multiple research labs. That said, these services are expensive, and there’s still no guarantee you will get your data back.

Best Practices for Ransomware Recovery

Despite all the pitfalls, you can still recover from a ransomware attack. Here are four ransomware recovery best practices that can make the difference between success and failure.

What to Do After a Ransomware Attack

In the aftermath of an attack and once you have recovered, conduct a detailed postmortem examination to analyze what happened. 

Conclusion

Ransomware recovery is feasible. It’s inadvisable to pay the ransom, since most companies that pay a ransom still don’t recover all their data. The important factor behind a successful recovery is proper preparation for ransomware attacks. This includes implementing strong security measures and having a proper backup strategy. You need a coherent ransomware response strategy and a thoroughly trained team, and early ransomware detection is key. Another factor is having a strong backup strategy with multiple immutable copies. Equally significant is realizing the need for continuous improvement so you can adapt to evolving threats.

Find out more about Building a Cyber-Resilient Data Recovery Strategy, be downloading our dedicated whitepaper. 

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