Amit Mehta , VP , Cybersecurity Services , EEMEA , Mastercard , outlines why a multi-layered defence is crucial in combating ransomware , highlights the importance of tailored cybersecurity awareness campaigns , reveals how Mastercard leverages AI to prevent fraud and detect threats , and explains how Mastercard ’ s cutting-edge technology is driving innovation to safeguard its digital ecosystem .

With ransomware attacks emerging as a leading cybersecurity threat for organisations globally , how can they protect themselves ?

Protecting against cyberthreats including ransomware involves a multi-layered approach . It starts with establishing and maintaining basic security hygiene that covers people , process and technology .

Here are some important controls that could be considered :

1 . Keeping systems patched with latest security patches

2 . Using multi factor authentication for businesscritical systems and their supporting infrastructure 3 . Strong passwords 4 . Regular backups of data and ensuring that these can be restored when required . Moreover , backups should be stored in multiple locations for Business Continuity

5 . Technical security controls such as firewalls , antivirus , anti-malware , networking segmentation etc .

6 . Employee security training and awareness that is dynamic and based on the current threat landscape

7 . Practicing incident response and building that ‘ muscle memory ’ that will help you respond and recover from such incidents more effectively

The above list is just a small subset of controls that can help improve the security posture of organisations to mitigate this threat . There is no one size fits all and ultimately it depends on the nature of your business , threat landscape and third-party risk that will influence your cyberthreat protection .

How can companies tailor messages about cybersecurity awareness for staff and customers ?

A strong culture of security awareness in the organisation is perhaps one of the most effective cyber-risk management strategies , and it is everyone ’ s responsibility . For the security awareness program to be effective , it ’ s important to tailor the content to specific roles within the organisation .

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