Ransomware: Recommendations against the extortion

The dramatic rise in ransomware attacks in the last few years has made headlines all over the world. With the invention of new attack techniques, ransomware has become the most prolific and profitable type of cyber-attack of all time. In this paper, we provide the first comprehensive guide for organizations and individuals to protect against ransomware by analysing the differences, commonalities, and best practices among 49 reports that are widely available. Our research reveals that individuals and organizations should take both proactive and reactive approaches that take into account both pre-attack and post-attack strategies. In addition, we present protective measures that are specific to governments, corporations, and researchers/online communities/media while differentiating between technical and operational recommendations.