Using SIEM To Detect Ransomware Attacks

Treat Ransomware Breach Face #RBF

The goal of SIEM technology is to identify potential security threats and suspicious activity that can lead to cyberattacks such as Ransomware. 

In the case of a ransomware attack, SIEM can detect malicious activity, such as unusual file access or modification, and raise an alert. Additionally, the SIEM, such as Microsoft Sentinel can also provide valuable insight for incident response. For example, SIEM can help identify the source of the attack and the extent of the damage. This information can then be used to help mitigate the attack and prevent the further spread of the ransomware. 

In this post, we will discuss how SIEM technologies can reduce Ransomware Breach Face (RBF) and how Difenda’s 5-step approach can help accelerate the deployment of the technology so your business can be protected faster.  

Ransomware Attacks  

A ransomware attack is a type of cyber attack in which an attacker encrypts the victim’s files and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. The attacker typically threatens to permanently delete the encrypted files if the ransom is not paid within a certain time frame.  

They can have a significant impact on individuals and organizations, as they can result in loss of access to important data, disruption of business operations, and significant financial losses. 

Ransomware attacks can be delivered through various means, including phishing emails, malicious websites, and unpatched software vulnerabilities.  

In order to prevent ransomware attacks, organizations should implement a robust security posture that includes regular software updates, employee training, backup and recovery solutions, and advanced threat protection technologies

How Does SIEM Technology help mitigate the risk of Ransomware?  

SIEM technology helps mitigate the risk of ransomware by providing real-time monitoring and analysis of security events from various sources within an organization’s network. 

The SIEM aggregates and correlates this information to detect unusual and potentially malicious activity, such as: 

  1. Unusual file access or modification: A SIEM can detect when a large number of files are being encrypted, which is a common tactic used by ransomware. 
  1. Network anomalies: A SIEM can detect network anomalies, such as excessive network traffic, which can indicate a ransomware attack. 
  1. Suspicious user behavior: A SIEM can identify when a user is attempting to access files or systems they shouldn’t be, which can be a sign of a ransomware attack. 

By detecting these types of events, a SIEM can alert security teams to a potential ransomware attack and provide valuable information to help them respond quickly and effectively. Additionally, managed SIEM services, like Difenda’s M-SIEM can also provide threat intelligence and security analytics that can be used to proactively identify and mitigate the latest potential vulnerabilities.  

Ransomware Trends in 2023

Ransomware attacks are a constantly evolving threat and new trends are emerging as attackers adapt their techniques.  

Here are some of the ransomware attack trends to be on the lookout for in 2023: 

  1. Increased sophistication: Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with attackers using advanced techniques such as lateral movement, data exfiltration, and cloud-based infrastructure to evade detection and increase their success rates. 
  1. Focus on Critical Infrastructure: Ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and government agencies, are becoming more common as attackers seek to maximize their impact and extort higher ransoms. 
  1. Increased use of Double-Extortion: Attackers are increasingly using a technique called “double-extortion” in which they not only encrypt the victim’s files but also steal sensitive data, which they threaten to release if the ransom is not paid. 
  1. Expansion of Ransomware-as-a-Service: The RaaS model, in which attackers offer ransomware kits and support services to less experienced criminals, is expected to continue to grow, leading to an increase in the number and sophistication of ransomware attacks. 
  1. Emphasis on Ransomware Remediation: As the threat from ransomware continues to grow, organizations will increasingly focus on developing effective remediation strategies to minimize the impact of successful attacks and avoid paying ransoms. 

How Difenda and Microsoft Sentinel Protect Data Against Ransomware Threats 

Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution that provides multiple security features and technologies to help protect against ransomware attacks. It includes threat intelligence, automated response playbooks, cloud-native security analytics, and backup and recovery capabilities to help organizations quickly detect attacks.  

Sentinel integrates with Microsoft’s cloud-based security solutions, including Microsoft Defender ATP, to provide real-time visibility and protection of endpoints from ransomware and other threats. Paired with the Difenda Shield, businesses receive unrivaled visibility into their security environments.  

Difenda Managed SIEM, powered by Microsoft Sentinel, helps protect data against ransomware threats by providing a comprehensive security solution that integrates multiple security technologies and features. 

  1. Threat Intelligence: Difenda Managed SIEM uses Microsoft Sentinel’s cloud-native threat intelligence capabilities to provide real-time visibility into the latest ransomware threats, allowing organizations to stay ahead of evolving attack methods. 
  2. Automated Response Playbooks: Difenda Managed SIEM includes pre-built response playbooks that are designed to quickly respond to attacks, including isolating the infected system, rolling back to a known good state, and restoring encrypted files from backups. 
  3. Cloud-Native Security Analytics: Difenda Managed SIEM provides cloud-native security analytics, which use machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies and suspicious activity, including ransomware attacks. 
  4. Backup and Recovery: Difenda Managed SIEM includes backup and recovery capabilities that help organizations quickly restore encrypted files and minimize the impact of a successful ransomware attack. 

Both Difenda and Microsoft Sentinel provide advanced security features and technologies to help organizations protect against threats. By integrating these security features and technologies, Difenda Managed SIEM, provides a comprehensive solution to help organizations protect sensitive data and minimize the impact of a successful attack. 

Accelerate SIEM deployment with Difenda’s 5-step approach  

Difenda’s 5-step approach to SIEM involves the following steps: 

  1. Data Collection: The first step is to collect and normalize log data from various sources, such as network devices, servers, endpoints, and applications. 
  1. Data Correlation: The next step is to correlate the collected log data to identify meaningful security events and patterns. 
  1. Threat Detection: The third step is to use the correlated log data to detect potential security threats, such as malware, intrusions, and data breaches. 
  1. Incident Response: The fourth step is to provide actionable information for incident response, such as identifying the source and extent of an attack, and providing recommendations for mitigation. 
  1. Continuous Improvement: The final step is to continuously monitor, analyze, and improve the SIEM solution to stay ahead of evolving security threats and to ensure the most effective protection possible. 

By following these five steps, Difenda’s SIEM solution aims to provide a comprehensive and proactive approach to security information and event management, helping organizations detect, respond to, and prevent cyber threats. 

Is your business suffering from #RBF? Find out and discover the treatment plan in the Ultimate Guide to Treating Ransomware Breach Face.

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Megan Miller

Megan Miller’s energy and passion for learning flow into all aspects of her work. As the Growth Manager, North America, she brings a background in sciences which she has transitioned to the tech sector in her role at Difenda.

With a Bachelors of Science in Geology, Megan is a lifelong learner who is voracious about learning anything she can get her hands on about cybersecurity. Her positive energy has built a sales strategy with a focus on expanding in the United States while nurturing the Canadian presence. She is responsible for recruiting and training the sales team. Together with the company’s leadership, she creates the sales process and the company’s product strategy in order to better serve the customer base. This ensures that our customers have a highly trained and highly motivated team to help them every step of the way, Megan has completed Microsoft SC-900 training and working towards mastering Microsoft.

Whether at work or play, Megan is fully committed. She took her love of hockey all the way to the semi-professional level as a competitive hockey player. Megan loves all things sports including water skiing, scuba diving, cycling, and snowboarding. She also enjoys time with family and reading about alternative energy, innovation, and cybersecurity.

Natasha Phanor

As the Microsoft Partner Manager at Difenda, Natasha Phanor is responsible for driving growth within our Microsoft Partnership. With six years in the industry, she offers a fresh, energetic approach, and the ability to focus on our customer’s needs throughout the entire process. Natasha has the innate ability to foresee customer needs and solve problems before they arise, which creates a smooth road for each customer she encounters.

As the recipient of the Outstanding Services Partner of the Year Award in 2018, it is clear that Natasha responds quickly to customer needs, creates a platform for understanding a customer’s business requirements, and walks them through the process to ensure their complete satisfaction.

In her spare time, Natasha is as energetic and passionate as she is on the job. A self-proclaimed foodie-extraordinaire, she enjoys dinner parties, traveling, downhill skiing, hiking, biking, and reading. Natasha has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in Dance, from Ryerson University.

Ian Miersch

Ian Miersch has energy to spare, and uses his eclectic background to make a positive mark on the cybersecurity industry. As Vice President of Finance & Human Resources, Ian Miersch is responsible for overseeing scalable business growth as Difenda expands throughout North America. But it is the way he does it that sets him apart. By leveraging his engineering background and critical thinking skills, he has been able to develop unique strategies that balance the company’s current business needs with its long-term growth plans. And the results of his unique background and drive mean that the company is growing in a fiscally responsible manner, all with the customer’s needs at the forefront.

With a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering, coupled with an MBA in Finance, both from McMaster University, Ian’s ability to analyze data and make informed decisions is augmented by his ability to understand all facets of the business. He has a holistic understanding of the craft, from operations to project delivery and management, to his niche in financial planning. Ian’s ten years of experience in the industry mean that he has seen it all, and knows how to create a dynamic team and manage the resources needed for success.

Outside of work, he uses his energy to help others through the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program, earning the Group Recreation Volunteer of the Year Status.

Ian also enjoys exploring and hiking with his three young children, exercising (so he can keep up with them), and reading professional development books. He is an avid but generally heartbroken fan of the Toronto sports teams, including the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, and Raptors.

Derek Nugent

Derek Nugent, Vice President, Revenue lives by the motto “Be early, be better.” Derek leads our Revenue team and is responsible for the customer’s journey with Difenda. His high energy level and creativity have built high performing teams, whether at the Herjavec Group, CDW, or in his current leadership role at Difenda.

After earning a Bachelor Administration and Management degree from the Academy of Learning, Derek started in the information technology industry in 2004 and transitioned to the cybersecurity industry in 2014. With so much experience in a wide-variety of roles, he is poised to take the team at Difenda to the next level.

He excels at leading revenue strategies, new market entry, partnership engagement, and customer acquisition and retention. His work ethic and interest in rising to the top motivate his sales teams, who respond well to his passion and zeal. Under his tutelage, they are able to achieve attractive lead generation, YOY growth, and sizable deals. Derek works tirelessly to build a better team, and his constituents follow his road to success, which ultimately leads to a rewarding experience for the customer.

Even when volunteering, Derek is all in. He was a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters from 2005-2015, earning Group Recreation Volunteer of the Year Status.

And when he isn’t busy leading the team to the acme of sales, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, running, working out, watching thrillers, action and dramatic television shows

Manoj Arora

Manoj Arora, Difenda’s Founder and CEO has always been ahead of the curve in Technology and Cyber Security. After securing his engineering degree in Computer Science, he wrote his first mobile banking application when he was just 23 years old. This accomplishment certainly set him apart from the crowd and prepared him for a lifetime of innovation and success in his field. At just 25 years old, he was selected as the youngest Cyber Security Officer for one of the largest banks in Asia.

As a globetrotting young cyber security professional, Manoj was instrumental in designing cyber security infrastructure and controls for some of the largest institutions around the world. Depth of his expertise and passion to serve customers at the highest level of competence and integrity lead to Difenda. Founded in 2008, Difenda is a rapidly growing cybersecurity firm operating in North America and Asia.

As the CEO at Difenda, Manoj drives the strategic vision to protect our customers and enable our team members to deliver our services in line with core values- competence, integrity, and innovation. Currently one of Microsoft’s leading North American partners, Difenda reflects Manoj’ single-minded focus on our customers. Difenda is fully vested in success of its customers and takes pride in considering our success as a byproduct of our customers. Manoj has always been committed to building a great team and forging strong partnerships to serve our customers with standards that top our industry.

When he is not busy bringing cybersecurity to the world, Manoj enjoys playing golf and squash, and continues to travel the world.

Lisa Templeton

Lisa Templeton is the perfect combination of human empathy and technological prowess. In her role as People Services Manager, she takes care of our team members to support them in their daily work, as well as on their personal life paths. Happy employees make for happy customers, and Lisa excels in giving our employees the tools they need for success in order to become the best possible versions of themselves. Along with employee formation, she shines in the service delivery support domain to continuously improve the process. Her 24 years of experience in IT Operations and Service Management help her create quality and efficiency at Difenda.

Having attended the Information Systems Management certificate program at Ryerson University, and with various other certifications to her credit, Lisa is perceptive and innovative when it comes to information technology, but also sensitive to the needs of her human constituents. Responsible for achieving the first privately owned company HDI Support Center certification in Canada, she has also designed and implemented Service Management excellence programs and 24×7 IT Operations departments for multiple IT organizations, and has created corporate rewards and recognition programs to keep her employees engaged and motivated.

On the personal side, Lisa passionately supports the cause of breast cancer research, having lost her mother to the disease. She reads voraciously in her spare time, and enjoys the art of home renovation. The summer months also bring time on her boat and exploring new hiking trails.

Miranda McCurdy

Miranda McCurdy uses her myriad super powers in all aspects of her job and personal life. As the Marketing Director at Difenda, Miranda McCurdy brings over a decade of experience to the table, which includes expertise in all facets of operations, brand management, and content marketing, as well as a multitude of successful strategies for the ever-expanding digital world. She is an expert at simplifying the message the company is trying to send, filling in gaps in the information, and strengthening the content in order to create compelling narratives that strengthen the brand and developing programs that bring teams together.

With several Addy Awards issued by the American Advertising Federation Cleveland to her credit, and her never say die attitude, Miranda understands both the broader picture and the minute details that are needed to successfully market a product. With her abilities to harness both the talent needed to spread the message, as well as to create the message itself, she is an integral cog in the company’s ability to communicate with customers and other stakeholders.

When she is not building a brand, she shares her ability to fill the gaps in her community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, and the Charleston Food Bank. In her spare time, Miranda spends time with her family, enjoys fitness and health, paddle boarding, reading, and arts and crafts.

Juliana Zaremba

Connections are the name of the game for Juliana Zaremba. As Strategic Partnerships Director, she is responsible for Difenda’s channel partnerships and the development and ownership of the channel partner program. She is also responsible for the global Microsoft Partnership, including the creation of strategic plans with MSFT contacts that will facilitate the continued growth of the business and establish certification and training protocols in all security technologies. Her role is multifaceted, as she acquires partners, manages relationships with them, and develops strategies that will provide cutting edge security solutions to our customer base. Another integral aspect of her job is to facilitate growth.

With a Bachelor’s in Math from the University of Waterloo and 14 years of experience from her previous roles at Herjavec Group and CDW, her cutting edge focus and ability to develop long-lasting relationships and strategies provides world class security solutions to our customer base.

Juliana thrives on connections outside of work as well. She is a philanthropist and contributor with Women4Change based in Hamilton. This group of local women is passionate about supporting local causes, and she focuses her efforts around Women in STEM. She is also a member of Club Italia in Niagara Falls and supports their youth events throughout the year.

When not managing the Microsoft Global partnership, Juliana enjoys reading, often reading several books at once. Juliana enjoys exploring the Niagara Escarpment with her family, as well as sharing meals and experiences with her extended family. Juliana’s competitive nature has her always trying new things, like Whoop band challenges and Peloton.

Jeffry Jacob

Biography Coming Soon