Ransomware attacks: ANSSI’s free-access guide

The “Ransomware attacks, everyone concerned – How to anticipate and react in the event of an incident” awareness-raising guide for businesses and local authorities is now available online on the ANSSI (Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information) website. Designed in partnership with the DACG (Direction des Affaires criminelles et des grâces) of the French Ministry of Justice, this guide features testimonials from victims and provides the keys to best practices in digital security.

2020 trends: ransomware and Big Game Hunting

Ransomware guide Ransomware attacks sets out current trends in cybercrime: ransomware or ransomware has taken a step forward since 2018 and fallen into the ” Big Game Hunting” category.

Increasingly, they are targeting groups with substantial financial resources, organizations with sensitive and critical activities, key companies in an industry… Attacks are becoming more complex, combining other malware with ransomware: cryptocurrency mining, Trojans…

Since the beginning of 2020, 104 ransomware attacks have been reported to and dealt with by the ANSSI. As a data recovery laboratory, we at Databack can see for ourselves how this phenomenon is evolving.

Faced with ransomware: digital security best practices

In the face of ransomware and cybercrime, ongoing awareness-raising among businesses and local authorities remains the best weapon. As Guillaume Poupard, Director General of ANSSI, and Catherine Pignon, Director of DACG, state in the preamble to the guide: “it is possible – most of the time – to reduce this risk to a residual level by applying good digital security practices”.

Every year, guides and awareness kits are designed with this in mind. And to give added weight to its message, the guide Ransomware attacks features testimonials from organizations that have fallen victim to ransomware. And what testimonials they are! The M6 Group, the Rouen University Hospital and the Fleury Michon Group show us that cybercrime is indiscriminate.

Ransomware guide Ransomware attacks is based on two pillars, drawing its advice from ANSSI’s Guide d’hygiène informatique:

• Mesures préventives pour réduire le risque d’attaques :
  • Backing up your data ;
  • Keep your systems and software up to date;
  • Use and keep up-to-date your antivirus software ;
  • Raising employee awareness;
  • Implement a cyber attack response plan ;
• Mesures préventives pour réagir en cas d’attaque :
  • Don’t pay the ransom!
  • Steering cyber crisis management ;
  • Find technical support ;
  • Restore systems from healthy sources;

These are just a few examples from the ANSSI guide, which we invite you to consult, download, study and share without moderation.

6 October 2020