We all must work toward building a knowledgebase to address the growing threat of ransomware. Our increasing reliance on technology as a society makes it imperative that each of us understands how to detect, prevent, or remediate a ransomware threat. The nature of ransomware attacks now goes beyond trivial damages; these attacks are now capable of turning our lives upside down when properly executed.
There are multiple online and physical resources for learning about ransomware. But as helpful as online blog posts or books on the topic can be, many learn better with an interactive approach. Video guides fill this gap by providing the viewer the ability to watch as events unfold. This adds some experience to the theory and can make for more effective learning sessions.
For those folks, here are some of the most helpful videos, by category, that belong in your playlists.
Incident Detection
Detecting a potential attack is a vital weapon against a ransomware attack. These videos present clear and easy to follow steps for guarding your information and systems against an impending threat.
- This SANS webcast does a great job of presenting current state detection and response methods
- Videos in a walkthrough format will allow you to see how the attack starts to unfold and how to best address it before it’s too late
Backup and Recovery
Sometimes even the best defense may fail to prevent an attack in some way, leading to data loss. But there are ways to mitigate this through a concisely planned backup and recovery process. There are some great ideas on how to best accomplish this, including these videos.
- Backup and recovery walkthroughs provide real world examples you can use
- Large IT organizations, such as Microsoft, have a treasure trove of videos on properly aligning backups to address ransomware scenarios
Navigating the Ransom
This is largely a last resort after the effects of a ransomware attack have been fully evaluated. Legal and law enforcement concerns must be considered. This becomes more complicated, as different industries must adhere to various guidelines, while consumers are often left wondering what to do next. This set of videos are a great start toward navigating the financial and legal minefield of paying a ransom.
- Panel discussions present multiple thoughts and real-time brainstorming to help you determine whether or not to pay
- It is important to pay attention to the underlying legalities of making a ransom payment
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Videos such as these will help guide you through the process of tackling a ransomware attack head-on. Many of these provide clear visuals so you know what to expect, and how to react should even the best defenses fail.
Developing a video library balanced between IT vendor-based videos and those made by security professionals in the workplace will give you the range of viewpoints needed to develop a proper ransomware strategy.
