Malicious actors are everywhere online and it only takes a single phishing email or infected download to really do damage to your network. Network-attached storage is especially susceptible to ransomware due to them containing terabytes of data, often not backed up elsewhere. It’s actually simple to protect yourself and NAS from such attacks.
What is ransomware?
Ransomware is a virus that infects a device like a PC or NAS and encrypts data. To gain access to the affected data, malicious parties often demand money. It’s highly recommended by law enforcement to not pay any ransom to recover data. It’s not guaranteed you’ll receive access.
Even the best NAS enclosure can become infected and we’ve seen models from some of the most popular brands affected. No one is immune.
How to protect your NAS against ransomware
The best defence against ransomware is common sense. Try to be careful when online and only visit websites you trust, especially when you’re downloading files. The same goes for email and other communications. Don’t click on any links you’re unsure of.
Most NAS manufacturers offer some form of anti-virus application, which can be useful in detected any malicious files transferred to the server.
What to do if your NAS is infected
As aforementioned, it’s not recommended to follow through with the demands and pay money for your files. I’d reach out to your local police force and file a report. Run scans on the affected devices and check to see if any viruses are discovered.
There may be tools available to actually reverse the damage caused by the malicious party. No More Ransom is a good place to start. Once you’re sure everything is clean (reinstalling an OS is a good move if all else fails), data can be recovered from a backup.
It’s incredibly important you create a backup of all your data stored on the NAS.
