How To Protect Your Business Against Ransomware Attacks

Updated June 1, 2026

Ransomware doesn't just make headlines: it shuts businesses down. From school systems canceling exams to a 157-year-old college in Illinois closing its doors, to the Colonial Pipeline attack that triggered gas shortages across the eastern U.S., the damage is real and escalating.

In a ransomware attack, cybercriminals first gain access to the targeted network or application, typically through phishing or stolen credentials, then encrypt the organization's data and hold it hostage until the ransom is paid. Modern ransomware attacks have evolved beyond encryption alone. In what's known as double extortion, attackers now steal data before encrypting it, then threaten to publicly release it if the ransom isn't paid. That means paying up doesn't guarantee your data stays private, and backups alone don't fully protect you.

The financial toll is substantial. According to Sophos' The State of Ransomware Report 2022:

• 66% of organizations experienced a ransomware attack in 2021, a 37% increase over 2020
• The average ransom payment rose to over $800,000, five times the amount demanded in 2020
• The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report found the average ransomware attack cost $4.62 million, exceeding the $4.24 million average cost of a data breach

Because the damages can be so significant, businesses need to proactively prevent attacks, limit damage if an attack occurs, and ensure fast recovery. Here are five ways to do that.

Key takeaways

• Adopt zero trust: Implement a framework that assumes no user or device is authorized by default and grants least-privileged access across your systems.
• Enforce MFA: Multi-factor authentication, especially biometric verification, makes it significantly harder for attackers to use stolen credentials.
• Maintain secure backups: Keep regular, off-site backups and test recovery frequently. Remember that double extortion attacks can still expose data even when backups are intact.
• Prevent phishing attacks: Combine email scanning technology with ongoing employee training on how to identify and report suspicious emails.
• Train on vishing: Voice-based social engineering attacks are rising, and most organizations don't train employees to recognize them.

Use a zero trust approach

Traditionally, businesses focused on protecting their physical network perimeter. With the rise of remote work and cloud-based systems, that perimeter no longer reliably exists. Zero trust has become the modern standard, and adoption reflects it: the Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Report 2021 found that 76% of organizations surveyed were in the process of implementing zero trust.

Zero trust is not a single technology or product. It's a framework built on the assumption that no user or device is authorized by default. Every access request requires verification. Within that framework, two controls are especially effective against ransomware:

• Least privileged access: Users are granted only the access required for their specific role. When stolen credentials are used in an attack, the attacker's reach is limited to that user's narrow permissions rather than the full network.
• Micro-segmentation: The network is divided into small, isolated segments. If ransomware is deployed, it's contained to a single segment rather than spreading across the entire organization.

Implementing zero trust reduces both the likelihood of successful intrusion and the blast radius when one does occur.

Use multifactor authentication (MFA)

Many ransomware attacks begin with stolen credentials. Making those credentials harder to use is one of the most direct defenses available. MFA requires users to prove their identity in two or more ways before accessing a system, and it's a core element of any zero trust implementation.

A standard setup requires both a password and a one-time code sent to a registered phone. Even if an attacker has the password, they can't access the system without also controlling the device. For higher-security environments, stronger MFA methods are available: biometric verification, including fingerprint scans and facial recognition, adds a layer that's much harder to compromise than a code sent via SMS, which can be intercepted through SIM-swapping attacks. The right approach depends on your risk profile, but every layer of authentication makes unauthorized access materially harder.

Back up data regularly

Regular backups give organizations a path to recovery that doesn't depend on paying a ransom. Sophos found that 73% of organizations used backups to restore data encrypted during a ransomware attack.

To be effective, backups need to be isolated. If your backup lives on the same server as your primary data, ransomware can corrupt both at once. Store backups off-site and disconnected from the main network, and test the full recovery process regularly, not just the backup itself. Discovering a flaw in your restoration process during an actual attack is a costly way to find out.

One important caveat: backups address data encryption, but they don't address data theft. In double extortion scenarios, attackers exfiltrate sensitive data before encrypting it. A clean restore gets your systems running again, but it doesn't prevent the attacker from releasing that data. Detection speed and identity-layer controls matter as much as recovery infrastructure.

Prevent phishing attacks

According to IBM's X-Force Threat Intelligence Report, 41% of attacks started with phishing. It's the most common entry point for ransomware, and it works because attackers have become skilled at making malicious emails look legitimate, including replicating corporate logos and spoofing sender addresses.

Common tactics

• Emails impersonating trusted brands, vendors, or internal IT teams
• Links to convincing-looking login pages designed to capture credentials
• Attachments containing malware that executes on download
• Fake invoice or payment notifications that prompt urgent action

What you can do

• Deploy email scanning technology that flags malicious links and attachments before they reach employee inboxes
• Train employees to recognize phishing indicators: mismatched sender addresses, spelling errors, and pressure to act quickly
• Establish a clear reporting process so staff know where to send suspicious emails
• Define what to do if someone accidentally clicks a link, such as disconnecting the device from the network and contacting IT immediately

Keep employees on alert for vishing

As employees have become more cautious about phishing emails, attackers have expanded to vishing: voice-based social engineering attacks where a caller tricks an employee into handing over credentials or logging into a fake site. The FBI has issued official warnings about this technique. The Proofpoint State of the Phish report found that 69% of organizations faced vishing attacks in 2021, yet only 23% of organizations globally include vishing in their security training.

Vishing has also expanded beyond phone calls. Attackers now use SMS (smishing) and social media messages to run similar schemes, creating a false sense of personal familiarity that can cause employees to lower their guard. The through-line across all of these methods is the same: attackers are trying to get someone inside your organization to hand over their credentials.

Training employees to recognize these tactics is the most direct defense. Cover all three vectors: phone calls, text messages, and direct social media contact. Make it clear that no legitimate internal system will ask for credentials through these channels, and give employees a safe way to verify requests before acting on them.

Protect what ransomware targets most: identity and access

Ransomware attacks succeed when attackers can move through your systems unchallenged. Every measure described above, from zero trust to MFA to phishing training, is fundamentally about protecting identity and controlling access. That's also where Proof focuses.

Proof's identity verification and fraud detection platform helps organizations verify who is behind every transaction, every credential, and every authorization request, so that compromised identities don't become entry points. Whether you're protecting a closing workflow, a financial transaction, or sensitive internal systems, the principle is the same: identity assurance is your first line of defense.

Talk to our team to learn how Proof supports your organization's security posture.