{"id":26893,"date":"2021-12-13T15:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/?p=26893"},"modified":"2022-01-06T13:33:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T13:33:54","slug":"business-continuity-after-a-ransomware-attack-the-case-for-end-to-end-encryption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/es\/blog\/business-continuity-after-a-ransomware-attack-the-case-for-end-to-end-encryption","title":{"rendered":"Business continuity after a ransomware attack: the case for end-to-end encryption"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine the scenario: you get an urgent call from one of your customers. All her files seem to be corrupted. And then there\u2019s that email demanding payment via Bitcoin for restoration. She needs your immediate help to get her business up and running. Later on, she\u2019ll demand to know how you let her business be vulnerable to this attack.<\/p>\n

You had installed firewalls, required strong passwords, and conducted email phishing drills\u2014and still your customer was attacked.<\/p>\n

What else might have prevented this situation?<\/p>\n

Encrypted cloud file storage<\/h2>\n

Traditional file backups utilities are not sufficient because they can be vulnerable to the same attacks that penetrated your customer\u2019s network in the first place. Furthermore, if a ransomware attack corrupts user files, the corrupted files will be copied to the backups (or the backups might be deleted entirely), resulting in data loss. Some vendors recommend offline backups, but these are complex to manage and security risks still exist (they have to be online<\/i> frequently).<\/p>\n

A better solution would have the following attributes:<\/p>\n

\u2022 <\/span>Cloud service<\/h3>\n

Using an external cloud service provider for backups (as opposed to on-premises management) can not only save costs but also add another layer of security to your customer\u2019s network.<\/p>\n

\u2022 <\/span>Immutable copies of all file versions<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not enough to merely retain a copy of the latest versions of files; the service must retain all prior<\/i> versions. Immutability means the service does not allow any prior version to be deleted or modified. Thus, in the event of an attack, an organization\u2019s data can be restored to the point right before the attack occurred.<\/p>\n

\u2022 <\/span>End-to-end encryption (E2EE)<\/h3>\n

E2EE means that data is encrypted on a client device and stays encrypted until reaching another authorized client. Significantly, this means that nobody other than the customer\u2019s intended recipients can see data\u2014not even the cloud service provider or you as the MSP. Even if you or the cloud service provider are attacked, your customer\u2019s data is safe.<\/p>\n

\u2022 <\/span>Authentication by cryptographic keys instead of passwords<\/h3>\n

We all know that most breaches start with a compromised password. If the cloud service requires a cryptographic key to authenticate a user, there are no passwords to guess or breach.<\/p>\n

\u2022 <\/span>Admin restrictions<\/h3>\n

After a successful password breach, attackers often acquire administrative credentials because admins can access all user data. This can make you, the MSP, a \u201ccentral point of attack,\u201d which means you\u2019re a high-value target for an attacker. The ideal scenario is to require multiple admins to authorize any invasive operation so that an attack on a single admin won\u2019t compromise an entire organization.<\/p>\n

How does this work in practice?<\/h2>\n

There are thousands of use cases for encrypted cloud file storage. Just about every use case for storing files on a user\u2019s PC or on a centralized on-premises server can be better addressed by encrypted cloud storage. I\u2019ve listed some examples below to help you start to see how this can work for your customers:<\/p>\n