This month the ICO confirmed that it has seen a significant increase in ransomware attacks – with a dramatic rise of 13 incidents per month to 42. This noteworthy upsurge has prompted the ICO to confirm it will shortly be issuing guidance on ransomware and incident response, and has forewarned that when notified of a ransomware attack, the ICO will also review the organisation’s compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for suspected breaches.
61% of organisations have been impacted by a ransomware attack over the past 12 months (Mimecast 2021), and Blockchain analysis has shown that the total amount paid by ransomware victims increased by 311% in 2020 to reach nearly $350 million worth of cryptocurrency (Chainalysis 2021).
In order to help organisations fight back against this ever-evolving threat, IT Governance has added three new products to its ransomware range, including:
Ransomware Staff Awareness (E-learning Course)
With this training course, organisations can take action against the increasing threat of ransomware by educating employees to be alert, vigilant and secure. This staff awareness course covers:
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The threats posed by a ransomware attack.
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The main forms a ransomware attack can take and how they work.
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Actions that individuals and organisations can take to help protect against ransomware.
Ransomware Staff Awareness (E-learning Course – LMS SCORM Package)
This SCORM-compliant course provides staff with the knowledge they need to identify a ransomware attack and flag it correctly. This package ensures an organisation can:
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Easily upload the course to its own LMS (learning management system) with SCORM-compliance.
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Take action against the increasing threat of ransomware attacks by educating its employees on how to prevent, identify and respond to an attack.
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Embed a culture of awareness throughout the organisation.
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Test learner knowledge through multiple-choice questions.
The Ransomware Threat Landscape (A Guide)
From basic cyber hygiene to more advanced controls, this book gives practical guidance on individual activities, introduces implementation steps organisations can take to increase their cyber resilience, and explores why cyber security is imperative. This book covers:
Alan Calder, Founder and Executive Chairman of IT Governance, said:
“2020’s ransomware increase was driven by a combination of new strains snatching huge sums of money from victims along with established attacks significantly improving their earnings. Unfortunately, the challenge for most organisations is that they are woefully unprepared to deal with an attack, and tend to view coughing up the cash as the quickest and easiest route out of their immediate predicament – but here lies the main problem; as long as victims continue to pay ransoms, cyber criminals will continue to extort them, especially if they know the data is valuable.
The only sensible approach is to assume that your organisation will be attacked, and to develop a genuinely resilient, in-depth cyber defence plan – starting with technology - but also focusing heavily on regular, repeated staff awareness training, simulated phishing attacks, testing recovery and restoration processes. I’m proud that IT Governance’s three new products in our ransomware range will help organisations on their mission to prepare for and mitigate this threat – a threat that has continued to diversify and bring even the most well-prepared organisations to a complete standstill every month over this past year.”
For more information about IT Governance’s ransomware products, please visit the IT Governance website, email servicecentre@itgovernance.co.uk or call +44 (0)333 800 7000.
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About IT Governance
IT Governance is a leading global provider of cyber risk and privacy management solutions, with a special focus on cyber resilience, data protection, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), ISO 27001 and cyber security.
IT Governance is committed to helping businesses protect themselves and their customers from the perpetually evolving range of cyber threats. Its deep industry expertise and pragmatic approach help clients improve their defences and make key strategic decisions that benefit the entire organisation.
IT Governance’s Protect - Comply - Thrive approach is aimed at helping organisations achieve resilience in the face of constant change.
Press Contact
Cameron Troake, Group Head of Communications
GRC International Group
Phone: 07983 623150
Email: ctroake@grci.group