Businesses of all sizes have been forced to sit up and take notice as the WannaCry ransomware struck across the globe in May 2017. This virulent new strain of malware has hit hundreds of thousands of organisations by exploiting critical vulnerability in IT systems in over 150 countries. With businesses weighing up what can be done to protect their systems, independent testing by MRG Effitas shows that help is at hand for all companies, regardless of their IT security budget.
Security research company, MRG Effitas, has found that Kaspersky Lab’s free solution, Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business, has achieved “100 per cent protection” in all its tests, and been awarded with a certified ransomware protection badge. Testing involved the simulation of several delivery and infection methods using fresh samples selected from 13 crypto-ransomware and screenlocker families found in the wild, when all previous lines of defence have fallen.
The results show that free, advanced protection is available to all businesses worried about WannaCry style attacks. Launched in 2016, Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business is suitable for companies that do not use Kaspersky Lab’s solutions, or for those whose protection is not effective at blocking ransomware. It is a complimentary tool that is compatible with third-party security products. It is easy to install and does not require deep technical knowledge to configure and manage.
Vladimir Zapolyansky, Head of SMB Business, Kaspersky Lab, commented: “With proven effective protection available for free, Kaspersky Lab hopes that more companies can take the steps they need to safeguard IT systems from ransomware in the wake of the WannaCry attacks, which has become the largest ransomware infection in history. We are dedicated to making its effective protection available to everyone, and the MRG Effitas certification is testament to the robust nature of our products.”
Ransomware is not the only security problem organisations are up against. SMBs are vulnerable in particular, because they generally have few or no dedicated security personnel. In addition, because they have a strong focus on business growth, they tend to pay limited attention to IT, making it hard for them to protect themselves from various threats. While the Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business helps address the ransomware challenge, SMBs still can fall victim to various other attack vectors, and require multilayered security technologies to protect their financial operations and maintain the confidentiality of their customers’ information.
As part of the tests, Kaspersky Endpoint Security and Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud were also found to have protected every file in all ransomware test cases, each product also earning the MRG Effitas certified ransomware protection badge.
More information on the MRG Effitas report ‘Comparative Efficiency Assessment of Enterprise Security Suites against In-the-wild Ransomware’ is available on Kaspersky Lab’s website.
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