Ransomware is one of the most serious and prevalent cyber threats today. It is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s data and demands a ransom for its decryption. If the ransom is not paid, the data may be permanently lost or leaked online. According to IBM, the average cost of a ransomware attack in 2022 was $4.62 million^.

Ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated and targeted, often involving human-operated campaigns that leverage social engineering, phishing, credential theft, data exfiltration and lateral movement. These attacks can evade traditional security solutions and cause significant damage to organizations of all sizes and sectors.

To combat ransomware effectively, organizations need to adopt a proactive and multi-layered approach that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. AI can help enhance cybersecurity in the following ways:

1. Detecting and blocking ransomware before it encrypts data

AI can help analyze massive amounts of data from various sources, such as network traffic, logs, endpoints and threat intelligence feeds, to identify patterns and anomalies that indicate a ransomware attack. AI can also use natural language processing (NLP) to understand the context and intent of malicious emails or documents that may contain ransomware payloads.

By using machine learning (ML) algorithms and deep learning networks, AI can learn from previous attacks and improve its accuracy and speed over time. AI can also adapt to new and unknown threats by using unsupervised learning techniques that do not require predefined rules or labels.

One example of an AI-driven solution that can detect and block ransomware is IBM Security QRadar Advisor with Watson. This solution uses cognitive computing to automatically investigate indicators of compromise and provide critical insights to security analysts. It can also integrate with IBM Security SOAR to orchestrate and automate hundreds of response actions that can stop a ransomware attack in its tracks.

2. Recovering data quickly and efficiently after a ransomware attack

Even with the best prevention measures, some ransomware attacks may still succeed in encrypting some data. In such cases, organizations need to have a reliable backup and recovery strategy that can restore their data as soon as possible.

AI can help optimize backup and recovery processes by using smart algorithms that can prioritize the most critical data, reduce storage costs and improve performance. AI can also help automate the recovery process by using intelligent workflows that can execute the necessary steps without human intervention.

Think about an AI-driven solution that can recover data after a ransomware attack called Halcyon. This solution is a cyber resilience platform that can defeat ransomware-as-a-service-borne attacks. It uses multiple layers of resiliency, such as bypass and evasion protection, key capture and automated decryption, and data extortion prevention. It can also recover data in minutes using the fastest endpoint recovery methods ever built.

3. Enhancing security awareness and education among employees

One of the most common ways that ransomware attackers gain access to an organization’s network is by exploiting human vulnerabilities, such as lack of awareness, curiosity or greed. Therefore, it is essential to educate employees about the risks and best practices of cybersecurity.

AI can help enhance security awareness and education among employees by using gamification, personalization and feedback mechanisms. AI can also use natural language generation (NLG) to create engaging and realistic scenarios that can test employees’ knowledge and skills.

An AI-driven solution that can enhance security awareness and education among employees is Security Boulevard. This solution is a website that provides articles, podcasts, webinars and events on various topics related to cybersecurity. It also uses AI strategies for CISOs to advance edge security, such as behavior analysis, threat intelligence software, zero-trust access control and automation.

Conclusion

Ransomware is a serious cyber threat that can cause significant damage to organizations of all sizes and sectors. To combat ransomware effectively, organizations need to adopt a proactive and multi-layered approach that leverages artificial intelligence technologies.

AI can help enhance cybersecurity in three ways: detecting and blocking ransomware before it encrypts data, recovering data quickly and efficiently after a ransomware attack, and enhancing security awareness and education among employees.

By using AI-driven solutions like IBM Security QRadar Advisor with Watson, Halcyon and Security Boulevard, organizations can improve their cyber resilience and reduce their cyber risk in the age of ransomware.