Constant data availability in a changing threat landscape

Ransomware attacks, which pose a direct threat to user data, continue to grow in frequency and complexity. You may have heard of 2017 global epidemics such as WannaCry and exPetr, which hit hundreds of companies around the globe. Good news: We have Acronis Active Protection to keep your data safe and secure.

Cryptors, a form of ransomware that encrypts files, are becoming more popular. In 2020, AV-Test reported 137.51 million new malware attacks, only slightly less than the year before, and a 50% increase in ransomware attacks worldwide.

Acronis security experts see signs of growing competition between ransomware distributors. Attackers are starting to probe previously unreached countries, where users may not be prepared for fighting ransomware and where competition among criminals is lower. Ransomware-as-a-Service is becoming more and more popular, with amateur cybercriminals trying to earn easy money.

In the future, perhaps ransomware will merely ask for money to prevent the bad guys from changing data in a random document to embarrass a person or compromise a legal request. Another growing threat is so-called wiper malware. This looks like a ransomware cryptor that encrypts your data, but its goal is simply to destroy the data. There is no way to restore the data and no ransom to pay. One example is the exPetr wiper. Another example is Industroyer. We call these types of threats “data infringing malware.”

Today, encryption ransomware is synonymous with ransomware and is the most popular type out there. If the cryptor does not have data restore functionality, it is called a wiper. In the chart below, you can see the recent growth in ransomware. Security experts, the FBI, and other organizations agree that ransomware attacks will continue to take place more frequently, especially in corporate and small business environments.

It is always best to stop a ransomware attack as early as possible – at the desktop, if possible before the ransomware has a chance to encrypt any files. So, it is important to understand the threat and use solutions that will enable a security team to respond quickly to a ransomware infection without disrupting the workflow to the desktop and users on the network. This is applicable not only to corporate users but home users as well.

ACRONIS ACTIVE PROTECTION: AN EFFECTIVE ANSWER TO RANSOMWARE

Acronis has exactly the solution to fight ransomware effectively: Acronis Active Protection. Acronis Active Protection is an advanced technology that uses sophisticated analysis and artificial intelligence to monitor your system for any erratic behavior and quickly stop it. If ransomware somehow manages to get through the first line of defense and start encrypting files, Acronis Active Protection will quickly detect the encryption and halt it – automatically restoring the files to the most recently backed-up version.

Active Protection Enhanced by Machine Learning

Acronis introduced Active Protection in January 2017. While performing well in independent testing and earning accolades from the media, Acronis has worked diligently to make it even better. The result is an improved version that incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies.

NEW LEVEL OF ANTI-RANSOMWARE DEFENSE

With machine learning leading the way, all these technologies bring Acronis Active Protection to a whole new level, especially when it comes to zero-day threats. It creates a model of which processes are legitimate, so even if bad guys find a new vulnerability or way to infiltrate the system, machine learning will detect the ransomware’s processes and put a stop to them.

Acronis’ machine learning infrastructure is built so that new anonymized user data will be uploaded regularly for analysis. But new behavior models will be ready much faster and updates to product heuristics will be sent in a matter of seconds to further boost security.

ACRONIS ACTIVE PROTECTION ALSO PROTECTS BACKUP FILES

Why would cyber criminals attack backups? Because regular backups are a key defense against ransomware. If the data on your machine is backed up and stored out of reach by hackers, ransomware is little more than a nuisance. Projects like www.nomoreransom.org motivate users to do two simple and very important things – back up and don’t pay the ransom! So, bad guys have started attacking backup files. The only anti-ransomware that can stop this kind of attack is Acronis Active Protection, which prevents any process in the system other than Acronis software from modifying backup files. We have also implemented a robust self-defense mechanism that eliminates any typical attack and does not allow criminals to disrupt the work of the Acronis software or alter the content of backup files.

A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER

Acronis Active Protection is a new generation of data protection that provides:

• Real time protection from ransomware. There will be no time gap in restored versions of the files, so you do not have to lose any of your progress.
• Future-proof protection that is enhanced further whenever new threats emerge.
• Transparent, user-friendly protection that works automatically.

As you can see, machine learning and new heuristics algorithms make Acronis Active Protection an even better layer of data protection against today’s ransomware and future variants.

To learn more about Acronis Active Protection and to request a quote, don’t hesitate to contact us at 1 416 865-3392. We can also be reached by email at info@triparagon.com.