Page 51 - Cyber Defense eMagazine April 2023

What is Ransomware breach face?

“Ransomware Breach Face” (#RBF) is a term coined by Difenda that refers to the reaction of people who
unintentionally cause a cyber breach within their company. This can happen when someone clicks on a
phishing email or receives a ransom note.

The main causes of #RBF are human error and lack of visibility into the security environment.
Human error occurs when employees make mistakes such as downloading suspicious attachments,
visiting malicious websites, or sharing sensitive information with unauthorized people, leading to a
breach. In many cases, these actions are performed unknowingly, but they can have serious
consequences.

The second major cause of successful ransomware attacks is a lack of visibility into the cybersecurity
environment. Many organizations lack visibility into their network and endpoint activities, making it difficult
to detect and respond to cyber threats in a timely manner. In many cases, cybercriminals will use
encryption and other methods to hide their tracks, making it difficult for organizations to detect a
ransomware attack until it is too late. This lack of visibility can lead to #RBF and other significant
consequences for the business.

#RBF can cause major disruptions to business operations, as well as financial losses and damage to an
organization’s reputation.

So, how did we get here?

Despite coming a long way from where we were five years ago, Ransomware Breach Face is at an all-
time high and we are actually observing more serious ransomware breaches globally. Today, the average
downtime caused by a ransomware attack is 12 days.

Some of the main reasons for increased successful ransomware attacks include:
1. As organizations continue to rapidly adopt emerging cybersecurity technologies, they are
inadvertently complicating their operations and creating blind spots in their data protection
infrastructure.
2. With a significant increase in remote work many organizations have struggled to secure
their remote networks and endpoints, making them more vulnerable to ransomware attacks.
With more employees working from home, attackers have more opportunities to exploit
security gaps and breach an organization’s network.
3. Attackers are constantly evolving their tactics and techniques to bypass traditional security
measures and exploit vulnerabilities in new ways.
4. The growth of the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model has also made it easier for
attackers with limited technical knowledge to launch ransomware attacks. RaaS providers
offer turnkey solutions that include malware, hosting, and support services, making it easier
for attackers to launch sophisticated attacks.
5. Cybersecurity analysts are receiving hundreds of alerts a day and security teams can’t
determine what to look at or when to look at it. The sheer volume of data generated by
cybersecurity tools, coupled with the constant changes in the threat landscape and regulatory
requirements is creating a perfect storm that many organizations can’t handle alone.

To combat these evolving threats and more, organizations need to take a proactive and holistic approach
to cybersecurity that includes a combination of people, process, and technology. Ultimately, it's important

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