Enterprise Cybersecurity: Investigating and Detecting Ransomware Infections Using Digital Forensic Techniques

Abstract

As the world continues to grow and embrace technology ransomware is growing problem. When ransomware encrypts storage sytems, systems shutdown, productivity grinds to a halt, and serious long-term damage takes place. As this is a known problem many firms have developed functionality to address ransomware issues in key security technologies such as intrusion protection systems. Many firms, especially smaller ones, may not have access to these technologies or perhaps the integration of these technologies might not yet be possible due ot varying circumstances. Regardless, ransomware must still be addressed as cyber miscreants actually target weak and unprotected environment. Even without tools that automate and aggregrate security capability, systems administrators can use systems utilities, applications, and digital forensic techniques to detect ransomware and defend their environemnts. This paper explores the literature regarding ransomware attacks, discusses current issues on how ransomware might be addressed, and presents recommendations to detect and investigate ransomware infection.