Ransomware Defense: Optimal Firewall Configurations

Ransomware insurance is targeted specifically at businesses today. A strong firewall is your first line of defense against malware blockers and cyber attacks. Appropriately configuring your firewall security settings can prevent ransomware attacks before they even occur.

Join us as we dive through the best firewall settings that can keep your systems safe.

Blocking Malicious IPs

The simplest way to secure against ransomware is to block known IPs of malicious actors. Most types of cyber attacks can be performed repeatedly against the same targets from the same set of IPs by the attackers.

How to do it:

• Web 3rd party API calls (https) – Some firewalls enable 3rd party API calls to block an IP automatically based on a feed from multiple sources.
• Geo-blocking – If your business is operating in certain regions, block IPs from high-risk countries where ransomware attacks are coming from.
• Block suspicious IPs – Keep your firewall up to date with lists of bad IPs from cybersecurity vendors.
• Logging and alerts enable log tracking during network access by a blocked IP.

Reducing chances of getting infected with ransomware: By blocking the malicious IPs beforehand.

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

Instead of a standard firewall only looking at basic data headers, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) reviews the entire packet to detect any nefarious activity lurking inside files.

Why DPI is important:

• Rigs malware hidden in encrypted traffic.
• Blocks ransomware payload before it can hit endpoints.
• Identifies command-and-control (C2) traffic used by hackers to manipulate compromised systems.

How to configure DPI:

• Enable DPI on your firewall – nowadays several firewalls will have this option available.
• Analyze traffic encrypted with TLS/SSL for inspection – Attackers hide malware in connections that are encrypted.
• Whitelist trusted sources – To prevent performance degradation, inspect only traffic that is from unknown sources.

DPI is an intelligent security layer that prevents attempts to block malware.

Sandboxing Suspicious Files

Isolating suspicious files before they execute is one of the best preventative measures against ransomware. To test the behavior of potentially harmful files, they run them in a secure, controlled environment known as a sandbox.

Benefits of sandboxing:

• Identifies zero-day (or discovered) threats that conventional anti-virus may fail to catch.
• We isolate the ransomware, so it cannot enter into the whole network.
• Prevents email attachments and downloads from running malicious code.

How to enable sandboxing:

• Deploy a firewall with built-in sandboxing – Many enterprise-class firewalls have this capability.
• Virus sends suspicious files to a virtual sandbox automatically.
• Review high-risk files manually before placing them on the network.

Sandboxing lets you analyze threats instead of letting ransomware crash all over your machines.

DNS Filtering

Many ransomware groups depend on malicious domains to download encryption keys and communicate with the hackers operating the malware.

Preventing Ransomware with DNS Filtering Before It Hits Your Network

How does DNS filtering prevent ransomware?

• Prevents access to malicious websites that deliver ransomware.
• Protects against phishing attacks aimed at convincing employees to download malware.
• Prevents ransomware from reaching out to its command servers and becoming useless.

How to enable DNS filtering:

• Implement DNS security integration solutions with a firewall with integrated DNS protection capabilities.
• Block known bad domains with blocking rules.
• DNS requests should be monitored for unusual patterns that indicate ransomware activity.

DNS filtering severs ransomware from its controls, rendering it ineffective.

Regular Firewall Audits

The best firewall security settings won’t matter if they’re outdated or misconfigured. Regular audits of your firewall guarantee that your own rules provide the best possible protection against ransomware.

How to carry out a solid firewall audit:

• Review your firewall rules – Remove obsolete or weak rules that attackers are likely to take advantage of.
• Examine traffic logs – Search for signs of intrusion, such as unauthorized attempts at access.
• Verify firewall policies — Conduct penetration tests to assess if your firewall stands up to attacks.
• Patching up security flaws – It is important to patch vulnerabilities by keeping your router firmware updated.

Regularly checking and updating your firewall also increases your ransomware protection by shutting security holes before cybercriminals discover them.

Firewall-as-a-Service: A New Way to Protect Your Network

Configuring and maintaining the best firewall security can be complicated and costly. Renting a firewall provides you with enterprise-grade protection without all of the upfront costs associated with purchasing.

Advantages of renting firewalls:

• Always up to date – No manual updates needed, with the latest security patches and features.
• Affordable – Instead of having to invest over a long-term, you pay as you use.
• Expertise – Many firewall solutions include immediate setup for malware filtering and ransomware prevention.
• Custom configurations – Acquire firewall security settings optimized for preventing ransomware.

Firewall rentals are a flexible security solution for businesses seeking high-level ransomware protection at a competitive price.

Ransomware risk is mitigated with the aid of correctly configured firewall security and periodic tweaks. Cybersecurity is much better when invested in ransomware protection with either setup optimizations or firewall rentals.