Ransomware attacks may have decreased recently, but that does not mean the risk has gone. It remains one of the most disruptive cyber threats facing organizations. Headlines sometimes create a false sense of relief. Ransomware attacks are down by 15%, according to Verizon's latest DBIR report, but those of us working in cybersecurity know this doesn’t give the whole picture. The most important issue isn’t how often an attack occurs; it is what happens to the organization when it does.
The fallout from a ransomware attack can be devastating. For example, massive encryption of information, prolonged service interruptions, and significant financial and reputational losses. An innocent click on a malicious link or a small configuration error is all that it takes for ransomware to spread laterally across a network, bypassing traditional defenses before they have a chance to mount an effective response. Reactive approaches are no longer enough. In a distributed corporate environment that relies on cloud applications, having more proactive protection measures is crucial. Organizations must find ways to better secure these dynamic and exposed infrastructures.
In cybersecurity, trust carries risk, especially when it comes to ransomware. Each application should be treated as a potential threat and only allowed to run if it has been explicitly validated as safe. Strengthening endpoint security in this way requires a mindset shift where prevention is prioritized over detection.
A crucial element is to ensure continuous monitoring from the cloud. Applying a “default deny” policy to all endpoints will ensure that only applications verified as safe at that time are allowed to run. This approach is essential against threats such as supply chain attacks, where a legitimate application may change its behavior after an update. This means having cloud technology that can monitor, classify, and update the status of each application in real time is key to blocking threats before they act.
Manually validating every application or process is unfeasible and prone to error, leading to fatigue and potential security gaps. AI-driven classification systems can analyze each executable from static, dynamic, and contextual perspectives, continually refining accuracy with the support of human expertise. By automatically blocking unclassified or suspicious processes before they can run, these systems prevent infection, eliminate potential for lateral movement, and free security teams to focus on truly critical incidents. This approach is not about trusting what doesn’t appear malicious; it’s about only allowing what has been proven to be safe to be run.
A zero-trust model that continuously monitors, classifies, and blocks untrusted processes helps prevent ransomware from executing, even if the malware is new or not yet catalogued. By automating much of the workload, a zero-trust approach can protect organizations without overloading IT and security teams, ensuring continuous protection while reducing operational burden.
Having the right recovery mechanisms in place will also play a vital role in a robust endpoint security strategy. Tools like automatic shadow copies, for example, will help businesses restore files to their original state before the attack, reducing downtime and minimizing disruption.
Although ransomware is declining in volume, its impact is still severe. A proactive, zero-trust approach that incorporates AI automation, combining prevention, automation, and rapid recovery, will give businesses the best chance of minimizing damage. In an environment in which every second counts, proactive and automated protection makes all the difference.
This article is shared with permission at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information via a Notification and a Tier I Mitigation service (RedXray) or an Analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225 or feedback@redskyalliance.com
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