Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has published a new sectoral survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production 2021,” that reveals companies in this sector were the least likely (at 19%) to submit to a ransom demand to have encrypted files restored and the most likely (at 68%) to be able to restore data from backups. The practice of backing up data may be one of the reasons why this sector was also the most affected by extortion-based ransomware attacks, a pressure technique in which attackers do not encrypt files but rather threaten to leak stolen information online if a ransom demand is not met. The survey investigated the scope and impact of ransomware attacks in 2020.

The ransomware findings for the manufacturing and production sector include:

• 36% of the businesses surveyed were hit by ransomware in 2020

• 9% of ransomware victims were hit with extortion-based ransomware attacks, compared to a global average of 7%

• The average ransomware recovery cost was $1.52 million, less than the global average of $1.85 million 

The sector’s high ability to restore data from backups enables many companies to refuse attacker demands for payment in the case of traditional, encryption-based ransomware attacks,” said Chester Wisniewski, principal research scientist at Sophos. “However, it also means that adversaries are forced to find other approaches to make money from victims, such as stealing data and threatening to leak company information if their financial demands aren’t met. Backups are vital, but they cannot protect against this risk, so manufacturing and production businesses should not rely on them as an anti-extortion defence. Organisations need to extend their anti-ransomware defences by combining technology with human-led threat hunting to neutralise today’s advanced human-led cyberattacks.”

The findings also show that manufacturing and production companies are more concerned than any other sector about future ransomware attacks. Sixty per cent of respondents said this is because attacks have become more sophisticated, making them more difficult to stop. Forty-six per cent believe that because ransomware is so prevalent, they will be victimised by the cybercrime.

In the light of the survey findings, Sophos experts recommend the following best practices for all organisations across all sectors:
1. Assume the organisation will be hit. Ransomware remains highly prevalent. No sector, country, or organisation size is immune from the risk. It’s better to be prepared and not be hit than the other way round.
2. Make frequent backups. Routine backups are the number one method organisations used to get their data back after an attack. Even if organisations pay the ransom, attackers rarely return all of the data, so backups are essential either way. Aim for an approach involving at least three different copies, using at least two different backup systems, and at least one copy stored offline and preferably offsite.
3. Deploy layered protection. In the face of the considerable increase in extortion-based attacks, it is more important than ever to keep the adversaries out of the network in the first place. Use layered protection to block attackers at as many points as possible across an entire estate. 
4. Combine human experts and anti-ransomware technology. The key to stopping ransomware is defence in depth that combines dedicated anti-ransomware technology and human-led threat hunting. Technology provides scale and automation, while human experts are best able to detect the telltale tactics, techniques and procedures that indicate when a skilled attacker is attempting to break in. To bolster in-house skills, enlist the support of a specialist cybersecurity company. Security Operations Centers (SOCs) are now realistic options for organisations of all sizes.
5. Don’t pay the ransom if this is an option. Independent of any ethical considerations, paying the ransom is an ineffective way to get data back. Sophos research shows that adversaries will restore, on average, only two-thirds of the encrypted files after a ransom is paid.
6. Have a malware recovery plan and continuously test and update it. The best way to stop a cyberattack from turning into a full breach is to prepare in advance. Organisations that fall victim to an attack often realise they could have avoided a lot of cost, pain and disruption, if they had an incident response plan in place.

The “State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Productions 2021” report is available on Sophos.com.  

The State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production 2021 survey polled 5,400 people working in a leadership role in IT, including 438 in manufacturing and production companies, in 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.