FEATURE: RANSOMWARE
As organisations continue to grapple with how best to protect against cyberattacks and ransomware demands we hear from cybersecurity expert and
J2 Software CEO, John McLoughlin who warns,“ spending on security without understanding your environment is like buying a state-of-the-art alarm system and leaving your doors open.”
The failure of this product-centric approach is plain to see. Breaches continue to dominate headlines and many of those affected have done everything the‘ experts’ told them to: they trained their staff, bought the most expensive backup solutions, installed the highest-rated endpoint protection. Still, they found themselves in negotiations with criminals, trying to rescue their stolen or encrypted data.
So, what’ s the answer? The only way to build real protection is to shift the mindset – from defence through products to resilience through visibility.
Visibility is the new cybersecurity gold
A year after law enforcement paraded the takedown of LockBit as a victory for cybersecurity, the harsh reality has set in: ransomware didn’ t retreat – it metastasised. The criminals didn’ t stop; they just got smarter. Now, with operations like Ghost infiltrating networks in over 70 countries, the threat is more pervasive than ever.
And despite the billions blown on shiny cybersecurity tools, AI-powered dashboards and employee awareness campaigns, companies are still getting breached – and still paying ransoms. Why? Because the industry has been peddling a lie: that buying the new shiny thing will be the silver bullet and keep the wolves at bay.
The illusion of security
The industry’ s obsession with shiny new tools is misguided. The truth is that the silver-tongued salespeople and their skilled marketers have lied to their customers. They’ ve given them a false sense of security that if they buy this single new product, nothing bad will happen.
Our approach is rooted in visibility and continuous monitoring. When we know what we have, we know how it behaves – and we know when something is going wrong. Without visibility, we’ re guessing. We’ re assuming we’ re okay.
This is a brutal truth many business leaders don’ t want to hear: spending on security without understanding your environment is like buying a state-of-the-art alarm system and leaving your doors open. No tools or training can replace situational awareness and realtime visibility across your entire digital infrastructure.
Rather than hoping to keep criminals out altogether – a near impossibility today – companies must assume compromise and have controls that are resilient and provide the visibility to respond effectively when something goes wrong.
Ban the ransom? Good luck
The debate over whether ransomware payments should be made illegal is intensifying. The logic is sound
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24 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www. intelligentcio. com