08/30/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/30/2024 03:59
A robust malware prevention and detection strategy is critical to cyber security and cyber resilience today. After all, a single malware infection can inflict serious financial damage - from business disruptions and remediation costs to lasting reputational damage and customer churn.
To help, this blog explains the types of malware organizations need to defend against and the common vectors for deployment. Then it offers effective ways to prevent malware from gaining a foothold in your network, as well as strategies that will help you detect and remove malware that manages to sneak through your defenses.
Simply put, malware is malicious software inserted into a system, usually covertly, in order to annoy or disrupt the victim. In many cases, malware is designed to compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the victim's data or applications. Windows devices are top targets because the operating system is so widely used, but any connected endpoint can be a target for malware-related cyberattacks.
There are many different types of malware, including the following:
To deploy malware, threat actors take advantage of vulnerabilities in both systems and human nature. Common malware vectors include:
Fortunately, there are proven defensive measures against malware attacks you can take to reduce the risk of malware infections. Indeed, the following approaches are effective for defending against a wide variety of cyberattacks, not just malware.
A core best practice for defending against malware is to keep your systems up to date. Promptly validate and install all new security-related patches to close new vulnerabilities that have been discovered. Be sure to include all operating systems, software tools, browsers and plug-ins in your patching regimen.
Regular security audits help you proactively identify and address vulnerabilities, such as potential entry points for attacks, unused accounts and devices, and misconfigurations that malware can take advantage of.
Require all accounts to have strong, unique passwords. When establishing your password policy, be sure to review current password best practices concerning criteria such as length, complexity and expiration. Consider providing users with a secure password manager tool so you can adopt strong password policies without increasing business disruptions and password-related helpdesk tickets.
In addition, enable multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA requires at least two authentication methods, such as a password plus a biometric like a fingerprint, voiceprint or iris scan.
To reduce the risk that users will be tricked into unleashing malware into your network, be sure to:
To protect against cyber security threats, including malware, organizations need a robust set of security tools. They include:
Network segmentation divides the network into multiple segments that are partitioned using internal firewalls and access policies. When malware infiltrates one of these segments, it is restricted from moving laterally into other segments of the network, limiting the damage it can do.
Zero Trust requires nothing to be trusted by default; instead, all users and devices must be continually verified before being granted access to resources. This reduces the risk of malware spreading through compromised accounts or devices. Implementing MFA and network segmentation are solid first steps in a Zero Trust approach, and organizations can expand to other core Zero Trust strategies.
Cybersecurity is a moving target. This is especially true for malware, as new strains and versions are constantly being released. Staying on top of current trends helps organizations fortify their defenses, as well as to remain compliant with industry regulations and standards, which often evolve alongside the threat landscape.
Even the best malware prevention strategy cannot guarantee that no malware will get through. Adversaries do their best to avoid detection, but there are some telltale signs that a device is infected. Be sure to teach users to watch for the following:
In addition to educating users about these signs of malware infection, organizations should consider investing in security solutions that offer advanced security analytics to alert you automatically to threats. These solutions analyze a wide range of data sources to establish normal behavior of users and systems. By continually comparing current activity to those baselines, the tools can promptly identify anomalies and patterns indicative of an attack.
Sandboxing is a method for executing suspicious programs and opening suspicious files in an isolated environment to determine if they are malicious and learn about the attack.
Of course, it's not enough to know how to avoid malware infections and detect threats in progress; organizations also need to know how to stop malware attacks. An effective response often includes multiple strategies.
As soon as a malware attack has been spotted, all infected devices should be disconnected from the network to prevent the malware from spreading. Any user accounts that were involved in the attack should immediately have the current session terminated and their credentials reset.
All infected systems should be wiped. A new operating system must be installed and data should be restored from backup. To avoid reinfection, verify that backups are clean before using them.
Keep in mind that ransomware attackers often target a company's backup systems in preliminary attacks to prevent data restoration. Accordingly, protect your backups with extra security measures and make sure to conduct test restores on a regular basis.
Every organization needs an incident response plan that outlines the step-by-step measures to take when an attack is identified. The plan should also include a list of professionals to contact, such as cybersecurity experts, attorneys and insurance companies.
Netwrix provides a suite of solutions that can help you fortify your cybersecurity to block malware infections and get the comprehensive visibility you need to promptly detect and respond to threats in progress. Here are some solutions to check out:
Plus, Netwrix solutions integrate readily with SIEMs and other security tools, supporting a holistic security approach that provides comprehensive intelligence for better threat prevention, analysis and response.
Cybercriminals are constantly creating new malware variants and looking for more effective strategies for unleashing it in corporate networks. So it's no wonder than many organizations are eager to learn how to prevent malware attacks.
But there is no single answer to the question of how to avoid malware. Rather, organizations need a comprehensive approach that includes strategies for preventing infections as well as detecting and responding to attacks. By following the best practices outlined in this blog and choosing the right tools, IT teams can reduce the risk from malware, as well as enhance their organization's defense against other cyber threats.