The research question
How can one protect oneself from ransomware attacks?
Anderson, W. H. (2016). Protecting yourself from ransomware and cyber-attacks. GPSolo, 33(5), 48–51.
This article reports the consequences of ransomware attacks and proposes solutions to businesses regarding how they can protect their data from such cyberattacks. The author starts his article with an email informing the client that, due to a security breach, his data may have leaked. Further, Anderson cites several examples of ransomware attacks and the consequences they had on the business owners. After establishing the significance of the problem in such a way, the author suggests several strategies to avoid being attacked. The article discusses such strategies as having continuous file backups with point-in-time recovery, a secure cloud backup service, and the latest antivirus software. The author also emphasizes the importance of educating the staff about safe behaviors to avoid ransomware attacks. The source is trustworthy because it is written by an expert in preventing data loss, and cites the sources of information. The author’s tone is objective and authoritative. This article is relevant to the research question because it provides specific measures that businesses should take to protect themselves from ransomware attacks.
Chen, B. X. (2017). How to protect yourself from ransomware attacks. The New York Times. Web.
This article establishes the significance of protecting oneself from ransomware and offers specific ways of preventing one’s device from being infected with this type of malware. The author lists such essential prevention steps as constantly updating the software, installing antivirus software, being cautious about suspicious emails, creating backups, and developing a security plan for the business. In conclusion, the article provides recommendations on what users should do if their device is already infected. This source cites statistics and provides links to other sources from which data is retrieved. Additionally, the article quotes experts in the field of cybersecurity, which adds to the source’s credibility. The author of the article specializes in writing about solving tech-related problems, and he uses neutral and objective language, which makes them sound trustworthy. This source can be used in the research paper on ways of protection from ransomware because it describes specific actions that individuals and companies can do to avoid the loss of their data due to malware.
Frances, R. (2019). Who’s to blame for ransomware attacks? A fired I.T. chief fights back. The New York Times. Web.
This article narrates the story of Brian A. Hawkins, the former IT director of Lake City, who was fired after the city suffered from a ransomware attack. According to the article, Hawkins filed a lawsuit in which he argued that he warned the city of the need to purchase a cloud-based backup system in 2017. The system would have prevented the attack, but the city did not buy it because of the high cost. As a result, the city was attacked and had to pay an exorbitant ransom, as well as spent much time recovering from the attack. The author concludes the article by questioning the authorities’ priorities when allocating funds. This source is trustworthy and objective because it cites interviews with different parties to the conflict, including the fired IT director, the director’s lawyer, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the city manager. The article can be used in the research paper to demonstrate the consequences of ransomware attacks and emphasize the importance of preventive measures.
Pinhasi, Z. (2018). How to prevent ransomware attacks: 5 practical solutions. Counter Terrorist, 11(6), 18–23.
This article describes actions that companies should take to protect their data from ransomware attacks. The author introduces the issue by citing examples of attacks on governments, healthcare organizations, and traditional businesses. Further, the article provides a detailed overview of cybersecurity threats and suggests solutions to avoid them. The author writes about social engineering techniques and recommends conducting employee training to counter them. Pinhasi also reviews a complete threat intelligence solution and its components, emphasizes the importance of patching, updating, and backups, and warns readers about the criminal use of macros. The source sounds credible because it is written in objective and concrete language. The author is a counter-cyberterrorism expert with more than 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity field. The source is of value for business CEOs and IT directors because it points out possible security vulnerabilities in companies and offers ways to tackle them. It is relevant to the research question because it discusses what businesses should pay attention to when developing the defense against ransomware attacks.