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Australian Consumers Still Not Sure About How to Deal with Ransomware: Claims WatchGuard

Consumers of Australia feel like they’re still in the dark about how to deal with ransomware as well as what protection they need in order to avoid ransomware attack.

A survey of 492 consumers was conducted by WatchGuard at CeBIT trade show in Sydney last month. In this survey, it was found that around 37 percent are not sure that whether they are protected against ransomware at all or not.

According to WatchGuard, they might not even know & understand what exactly a ransomware attack is, or they maybe have been a victim & not even realised it at the time.

Around 23 percent of respondents claimed that they felt ‘insufficiently protected’ against a future ransomware attack as well as 16 percent had already been a victim before.

David Higgins, regional director of WatchGuard says that consumers of Australia need to increase their awareness as well as educate themselves properly about cyber risk.

“Whether you want to contemplate another WannaCry scenario or not, it’s only a matter of time before self-spreading ransomware – or ransomworms – begin to wreak havoc. By taking a comprehensive and multi-layered approach to security, organisations can reduce the likelihood they will fall victim to malware attacks and avoid the disruptive and potentially costly problems they can cause,” he says.

The suggestion is not only limited to the consumers of Australia. Few months back WatchGuard conducted another survey that found that around 16 percent of resellers believe that their customers would pay a ransom demand.

WatchGuard states in a statement that the recent ransomware (WannaCry) outbreak has put ransomware top of mind. Ransomware has been around since about 2005; however the number of ransomware attacks has increased over the last 3 years.

The company has also offered advice for businesses as well as consumers on how to prevent ransomware attacks:

General Awareness

Becoming aware of the threats that malware can bring is highly important for users. Staffs should be properly educated about phishing attacks. They also need to be cautious while downloading files or opening attachments from any unfamiliar parties.

Regular Backups

Backing up critical data on a regular basis is a vital part of any security strategy. In larger companies, a global share drive should be created where all important files can be stored. The drive can then be backed up as often as is required. There should also be copies of backups as an extra layer of security.

Defence in Depth

It is important to design multiple layers of security in order to stop attacks in a complex IT infrastructure as no single defence will be able to protect completely. Creating a defence in depth strategy will make sure that systems as well as data are highly secured. Layered security should range from anti-virus software & firewalls through to network intrusion as well as advanced persistent threat tools.

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