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How To Protect Your Enterprise From Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware attacks have become alarmingly common. Although ransomware has dominated headlines for nearly a decade, the past several months have seen a surge in high-profile incidents across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
 
Victims of this string of recent attacks include the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, Blackbaud, the town of Florence, Alabama, CWT, and Garmin. In all cases, the victims were ultimately forced to pay ransom, causing large financial losses and even greater damage in less tangible costs, such as downtime, reputation loss, and a possible increase in insurance costs.
 
If you’re looking to strengthen your defenses and reduce the risk of a ransomware incident, the tips below outline practical steps that apply to organizations of all sizes.

A Brief Overview Of Ransomware

Ransomware typically falls into two main categories:

1. Data Theft (Extortion)

The attacker steals sensitive data and threatens to publish it unless a ransom is paid.
This primarily targets data confidentiality.

2. Data Encryption (Lockout)

The attacker encrypts the victim’s data so it cannot be accessed without a decryption key.
This primarily targets data availability and sometimes data integrity.

Regardless of the type, the attacker’s goal is the same—financial gain.

To defend against confidentiality attacks, organizations rely on:

  • Encryption

  • Strong access control

To defend against availability attacks, organizations depend on:

  • Backups to write-once, read-many (WORM) media

  • Backups stored in multiple locations

  • Strict access control to limit exposure

A Closer Look At Encryption

Encryption is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, but it’s important to understand the different approaches:

  • Data at rest vs. data in transit

  • File-level, disk-level, and application-level encryption

  • Symmetric, asymmetric, or hybrid encryption

  • Self-managed vs. third-party-managed key management

Any form of encryption provides some level of protection, but choosing the right design for your environment strengthens your defense against ransomware and other modern threats.

9 Tips To Protect Your Enterprise From Ransomware Attacks

Every environment is unique, but the following best practices apply broadly across industries.

1. Encrypt Data At Rest With A Self-Managed KMS

Use a self-managed, on-premise Key Management Service (KMS) whenever possible.
While cloud-provider encryption is better than none, it does not prevent the provider from decrypting your data. Encrypting data before it leaves your environment allows you to benefit from cloud storage without sacrificing confidentiality.

2. Protect Data At Rest With An Enveloped Data Structure

Protect data at rest with an enveloped structure: encrypt the data with a symmetric key, then encrypt that symmetric key using an asymmetric key.
This approach improves security and allows backup systems to operate without direct connectivity to the KMS.

3. Keep Private Keys For Decryption In A Disabled State

Private keys for decryption should remain disabled unless actively needed. Because these keys are used infrequently, enabling them only during restoration—and disabling them immediately afterward—reduces risk.
A solution like GaraTrust supports this workflow out of the box.

4. Timestamp Your Data Prior To Encryption

Cryptographically timestamp your data before encrypting it.
This allows you to later verify whether the data has been modified—essential for legal, compliance, and audit scenarios.

5. Protect Data In Transit With TLS

Use TLS 1.3 whenever possible (or TLS 1.2 at minimum).
Anything below TLS 1.2 should not be used, as earlier versions have known vulnerabilities.

6. Use Storage Provider Encryption Controls

When available, enable your storage provider’s built-in encryption controls in addition to your self-managed encryption. This adds another layer of protection and helps meet compliance requirements.

7. Test Backup and Restore Procedures

Backups are only valuable if they can be restored successfully.
Validate not only the decryption process, but also the logistics of retrieving data from storage and making it usable again. This ensures minimal downtime during an actual incident.

8. Stop Malicious Software/Users

Preventing ransomware also requires:

  • Endpoint protection

  • Strong authentication

  • User training

  • Log monitoring

  • Application allow-listing

Stopping malware and unauthorized access remains essential to reducing initial attack vectors.

9. Monitor, Maintain and Train

Cybersecurity is never “set and forget.”
Regularly maintain systems, update software, review policies, and train employees. Well-informed users and well-maintained systems remain among the strongest defenses against ransomware.
 
Jokes aside, ransomware attacks are a serious and persistent threat so you may be looking for some outside expertise to bolster your organization’s cyber security. That’s where we come in.
 
Garantir is a cyber security company experienced in integrating high-performing security solutions into the enterprise. The team has worked on the digital security needs of many of the Fortune 500 companies and is available to work with your firm now.
 
Get in touch with the Garantir team to find out how you can maximize security in your environment.

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