WEI Tech Exchange

A constant, unwelcome guest in the digital transformation era refuses to leave: ransomware. This digital villain continues to adapt and grow despite years of battle. Although there have been a number of alerts and updates about ransomware, enterprises are still finding it difficult to ward off these threats.

According to the Fortinet 2023 Global Ransomware Report, two-thirds of the surveyed global organizations experienced ransomware attacks, with half of those targeted ultimately giving in to attackers' demands. This ongoing struggle against digital extortion sheds light on the enduring challenges of modern times. In light of this, it's essential for businesses to equip themselves with effective defenses to counter this persistent problem.

Strategies To Counter Ransomware

Ransomware poses a significant threat to organizations, from data loss to operational disruptions. Fortunately, there are a host of measures available to reinforce defenses. In fact, 50% of IT leaders surveyed for the report identified some key technologies to safeguard systems:

• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
• Secure cloud workloads
• Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) 
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
• Secure Email Gateways (SEG)

Additionally, these stakeholders understand that proper security training, backup capabilities, and reassessment of resources are important in enhancing cybersecurity measures. This goes to show that IT leaders already see the value of investing in these solutions to mitigate the impact of ransomware.

Tackling Ransomware With Fortinet

A longtime partner of WEI and bona fide leader in the cybersecurity world, Fortinet continues taking significant strides in blocking the threats to suit various organizational needs. Its Security Fabric portfolio offers a suite of tools and services designed to address every facet of data and network protection and recovery.

This integrated system harnesses the power of AI and machine learning to seamlessly merge prevention, detection, and response functions across the entire spectrum of cyberattacks. Moreover, Fortinet’s solutions are scalable and extend personnel support by offering readiness assessments and specialized training to effectively counter ransomware incidents.

Here's how Fortinet's five-point solution and service helps businesses thwart ransomware, as outlined by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 1.1:

1. Identify: Fortinet's Risk Assessment offers a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity responses. Through the FortiGuard SOC Assessment, existing investments are optimized, gaps are pinpointed, and security operations are elevated. In addition, FortiRecon Digital Risk Protection counters reconnaissance-phase attacks to minimize later-stage threat costs.
2. Protect: Fortinet's network security suite is anchored in AI-powered NGFWs that deliver an intensive threat mitigation strategy across diverse locations. The platform offers the following:
   1. FortiSASE ensures consistent user security regardless of network connection.
   2. FortiNAC (network access control) is a zero-trust access solution that manages network access for diverse devices.
   3. Universal ZTNA is enabled on any device or service running FortiOS 7.0 and higher and extends its coverage to remote work scenarios. 
   4. A range of complementary products, including FortiWeb, FortiDevSec, FortiDAST, FortiCNP; FortiGuard CASB for data protection; FortiMail for email security; and FortiPAM, FortiTrust, FortiAuthenticator, and FortiToken for identity protection.
   5. Playbook development and security awareness training for IT teams.
3. Detect: Fortinet has these tools to enable quick threat identification:
   1. FortiDeceptor entices attackers to expose themselves.
   2. FortiClient and FortiEDR provide endpoint protection.
   3. FortiSandbox identifies advanced threats.
   4. FortiNDR offers network detection and response.
4. Respond: Fortinet also offers services to empower your team’s capabilities in detecting and responding to ransomware threats:
   1. FortiGuard SOC-as-a-Service supplements your team through analyst domain expertise using advanced capabilities, including machine learning and knowledge transfer to ensure information, network, and asset security.
   2. FortiGuard Managed Detection and Response (MDR) guarantees round-the-clock threat monitoring and is designed for enterprises already using FortiEDR or FortiXDR platforms.
5. Recover: Fortinet conducts compromise assessments and offers incident response services once the threat has been identified.
   1. FortiGuard Labs Incident Response team discovers hidden gaps in security through assessments and data analysis in pre-, during-, and post-incident phases.
   2. Supplementary tools such as FortiSIEM, FortiAnalyzer, FortiXDR, and FortiSOAR facilitate security logging, analytics, and orchestration.

This comprehensive strategy is in accordance with industry standards to ensure readiness, prevention, swift detection, expert response, and effective recovery against the ever-present ransomware threat.

Final Thoughts

In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations need IT infrastructure to withstand ransomware attacks. Fortifying your defenses not only safeguards critical data and operations, but also bolsters your ability to adapt and thrive operationally.

Our experts at WEI possess a deep understanding of cybersecurity and ransomware's evolving tactics. Contact us today to begin an assessment of your organization's vulnerabilities, and we can tailor solutions to your specific needs. As a valued partner, we will make sure your IT landscape remains resilient against the ever-present threat of ransomware.

Next steps: Managing and securing data, applications, and systems has become more arduous and time consuming with the rise of cloud adoption and the expansion of the digital attack surface. To help remedy this, FortiAnalyzer offers a powerful log management, analytics, and reporting platform that features a single console to manage, orchestrate, and respond. Download our free tech brief below to read.