Best Ransomware Protection Practices for Midsize Businesses
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 7:20 am
Ransomware protection has become a critical step in cybersecurity as ransomware attacks have become a major threat to businesses of all sizes, including mid-sized enterprises. These attacks can cause large-scale operational disruptions and financial losses.
Ransomware attacks can be sent via email attachments or links, so it is critical to have a strong email security system in place. This includes using email filters to block suspicious emails, training employees to identify phishing emails, and regularly updating email software and security patches.
Ransomware: Ransomware: One of the biggest security threats facing businesses in 2024
A recent survey examining the state of cybersecurity in North America, Europe and albania phone number data the Middle East found that 40% of respondents said their companies had experienced more cyberattacks in the last year.
The biggest threats found were malware and ransomware, followed by targeting key employees and harmful mobile applications. Experts predict that this threat will continue to grow. Camila Serrano, chief security officer at MediaPeanut, said geopolitical factors now play a bigger role in attacks on critical infrastructure.
Ransomware attacks are becoming more and more destructive, and the ransoms demanded by attackers are getting higher and higher, causing huge troubles for enterprises.
source
The people behind these attacks are always looking for any weakness in the company’s systems to gain access and make a lot of money.
Once the bad guys use spoofed emails to insert harmful software into a company's computers and networks, these attacks don't stay in one place.
They circulate everywhere, and the permissions for these attacks are sometimes sold to people who specialize in ransomware. Ransomware groups know that large companies are more willing to pay large sums of money to get their information back. But even governments are not safe; in 2021, 48 government agencies in 21 countries were attacked by ransomware.
These bad guys are getting more sophisticated. As more businesses use cloud email (which has its own security issues), it’s even more important to stop these bad guys from disrupting a company’s data and information through email attacks.
Midsize Businesses: Understanding Your Vulnerabilities to Ransomware Threats
Midsize businesses face unique cybersecurity challenges that can hinder their ability to protect against ransomware threats:
Cybersecurity resources are limited
Small businesses often lack the necessary resources to invest in advanced cybersecurity solutions and cybersecurity personnel. However, even mid-sized businesses may not have the budget or staff required to adequately address this threat.
Inadequate staff training
Employees are often unaware of how ransomware works and how to protect against it. This can lead to adversaries launching successful attacks against uninformed employees.
This is especially problematic when employees are unaware of normal activity on the network and mistakenly open malicious email attachments or links that they shouldn’t.
Limited budget for advanced security measures
Midsize businesses may not have the resources to properly implement advanced endpoint protection solutions (EPP) at scale (i.e., on all devices), making it difficult to justify purchasing these solutions.
An attractive target for ransomware actors
Ransomware has become one of the most common types of malware. Malware Ransomware has become one of the most common types of malware used by cybercriminals because it is profitable and relatively easy to deploy.
The criminals behind these attacks typically gain access to an organization’s network through phishing emails or other social engineering tactics and then encrypt sensitive data and demand a ransom payment in exchange for a decryption key.
Reliance on third-party suppliers
One of the main reasons why mid-sized businesses are more vulnerable to ransomware attacks is that they rely on third-party vendors for their services. Once these vendors are hacked or their data is breached, the entire organization is vulnerable to the ransomware attack.
Less stringent cybersecurity policies
Another reason why midsize businesses are vulnerable to ransomware attacks is that they do not have strict cybersecurity policies in place.
They don’t invest as much in cybersecurity as larger companies and therefore can’t spend as much time and resources developing cybersecurity solutions that meet their business needs.
As a result, they tend to skip steps when implementing security measures, which makes their systems more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Email is the most common method of spreading ransomware
Despite advances in security and awareness, email remains the primary method of delivery for ransomware attacks among midsize businesses.
Here are some important reasons:
Effectiveness: Email provides a direct channel to employees, and attackers can mimic colleagues, customers, and even internal systems to carefully craft personalized phishing emails that appear authentic.
Human error: Even in organizations that receive security training, employees can fall victim to a carefully crafted phishing email and click on a malicious link or attachment, launching a ransomware payload.
Easily obtainable: Email addresses are easily obtained through public sources, data breaches, and social media. Attackers can automate large-scale phishing campaigns targeting mid-sized businesses.
Vulnerabilities: Many mid-sized businesses still rely on older email systems that have known vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to deliver ransomware through automated attacks.
Lack of patching: Patching email systems and applications promptly can reduce vulnerabilities, but resource constraints or outdated infrastructure can cause delays that leave the organization exposed to vulnerabilities.
New techniques: Attackers are constantly developing new techniques, such as "spear phishing," targeting specific individuals within an organization or exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in email clients.
Limited resources: Midsize businesses may have smaller IT teams and resources than larger enterprises, making it difficult to keep up with the evolving threat landscape.
Ransomware attacks can be sent via email attachments or links, so it is critical to have a strong email security system in place. This includes using email filters to block suspicious emails, training employees to identify phishing emails, and regularly updating email software and security patches.
Ransomware: Ransomware: One of the biggest security threats facing businesses in 2024
A recent survey examining the state of cybersecurity in North America, Europe and albania phone number data the Middle East found that 40% of respondents said their companies had experienced more cyberattacks in the last year.
The biggest threats found were malware and ransomware, followed by targeting key employees and harmful mobile applications. Experts predict that this threat will continue to grow. Camila Serrano, chief security officer at MediaPeanut, said geopolitical factors now play a bigger role in attacks on critical infrastructure.
Ransomware attacks are becoming more and more destructive, and the ransoms demanded by attackers are getting higher and higher, causing huge troubles for enterprises.
source
The people behind these attacks are always looking for any weakness in the company’s systems to gain access and make a lot of money.
Once the bad guys use spoofed emails to insert harmful software into a company's computers and networks, these attacks don't stay in one place.
They circulate everywhere, and the permissions for these attacks are sometimes sold to people who specialize in ransomware. Ransomware groups know that large companies are more willing to pay large sums of money to get their information back. But even governments are not safe; in 2021, 48 government agencies in 21 countries were attacked by ransomware.
These bad guys are getting more sophisticated. As more businesses use cloud email (which has its own security issues), it’s even more important to stop these bad guys from disrupting a company’s data and information through email attacks.
Midsize Businesses: Understanding Your Vulnerabilities to Ransomware Threats
Midsize businesses face unique cybersecurity challenges that can hinder their ability to protect against ransomware threats:
Cybersecurity resources are limited
Small businesses often lack the necessary resources to invest in advanced cybersecurity solutions and cybersecurity personnel. However, even mid-sized businesses may not have the budget or staff required to adequately address this threat.
Inadequate staff training
Employees are often unaware of how ransomware works and how to protect against it. This can lead to adversaries launching successful attacks against uninformed employees.
This is especially problematic when employees are unaware of normal activity on the network and mistakenly open malicious email attachments or links that they shouldn’t.
Limited budget for advanced security measures
Midsize businesses may not have the resources to properly implement advanced endpoint protection solutions (EPP) at scale (i.e., on all devices), making it difficult to justify purchasing these solutions.
An attractive target for ransomware actors
Ransomware has become one of the most common types of malware. Malware Ransomware has become one of the most common types of malware used by cybercriminals because it is profitable and relatively easy to deploy.
The criminals behind these attacks typically gain access to an organization’s network through phishing emails or other social engineering tactics and then encrypt sensitive data and demand a ransom payment in exchange for a decryption key.
Reliance on third-party suppliers
One of the main reasons why mid-sized businesses are more vulnerable to ransomware attacks is that they rely on third-party vendors for their services. Once these vendors are hacked or their data is breached, the entire organization is vulnerable to the ransomware attack.
Less stringent cybersecurity policies
Another reason why midsize businesses are vulnerable to ransomware attacks is that they do not have strict cybersecurity policies in place.
They don’t invest as much in cybersecurity as larger companies and therefore can’t spend as much time and resources developing cybersecurity solutions that meet their business needs.
As a result, they tend to skip steps when implementing security measures, which makes their systems more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Email is the most common method of spreading ransomware
Despite advances in security and awareness, email remains the primary method of delivery for ransomware attacks among midsize businesses.
Here are some important reasons:
Effectiveness: Email provides a direct channel to employees, and attackers can mimic colleagues, customers, and even internal systems to carefully craft personalized phishing emails that appear authentic.
Human error: Even in organizations that receive security training, employees can fall victim to a carefully crafted phishing email and click on a malicious link or attachment, launching a ransomware payload.
Easily obtainable: Email addresses are easily obtained through public sources, data breaches, and social media. Attackers can automate large-scale phishing campaigns targeting mid-sized businesses.
Vulnerabilities: Many mid-sized businesses still rely on older email systems that have known vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to deliver ransomware through automated attacks.
Lack of patching: Patching email systems and applications promptly can reduce vulnerabilities, but resource constraints or outdated infrastructure can cause delays that leave the organization exposed to vulnerabilities.
New techniques: Attackers are constantly developing new techniques, such as "spear phishing," targeting specific individuals within an organization or exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in email clients.
Limited resources: Midsize businesses may have smaller IT teams and resources than larger enterprises, making it difficult to keep up with the evolving threat landscape.