Ransomware Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

The past few decades have seen a rise in internet use and digital transformations in organizations. Digital platforms have been fully integrated into daily life activities. Nonetheless, cybercriminals have taken advantage of internet overreliance, by devising different forms of cyberattacks. Ransomware is one of the common types of cyberattacks. In this research, a systematic literature review was conducted to examine different effective strategies for preventing and mitigating ransomware attacks. Twenty-four articles were sourced from databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ACM Digital Library and reviewed. The analysis revealed five key themes; ransomware detection methods, user awareness and training, access and control measures, data backup strategies, and the implementation of security policies. Based on these themes, it was evident that organizations could safeguard their systems and networks from ransomware attacks through measures like using data backup, enforcing access control measures, ensuring employee awareness of security threats, and enforcing robust security policies.