Avast has announced a new solution to help small businesses combat rising ransomware attacks.
Dubbed Ransomware Shield, the new solution provides an additional layer of protection, ensuring uninterrupted access to data and systems in the event of a cyber attack. Additionally, the tool’s proactive protection limits unauthorized access, bolstering security, and privacy.
RELATED RESOURCE
Escape the ransomware maze
Conventional endpoint protection tools just aren’t the best defence anymore
Ransomware Shield is available as part of Avast Essential, Premium, and Ultimate Business Security packages for Windows devices and macOS. In tandem with Avast's existing cyber solutions, including Web Shield, File Shield and Behavior Shield, Ransomware Shield helps businesses employ multi-layered protection to thwart threat actors' illicit activities.
Enabled by default, the solution also offers users the ability to customize the list of protected files and folders under “policy” in Avast Business Hub.
"Small businesses are facing a growing threat from ransomware, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting smaller organizations to encrypt crucial business data and disrupt operations. The results can be devastating for small businesses that lack the financial and technical resources to rebound from such attacks,” explained Filip Hlinka, VP of product at Avast.
Hlinka added: “Avast's antivirus has always offered consumers and business users powerful protection against cyberthreats including ransomware, and Ransomware Shield offers a purpose-built, additional layer of protection which helps to secure businesses' most crucial files against these highly damaging attacks."
Earlier this month, NortonLifeLock's $8.6bn acquisition of Avast was provisionally approved by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), following an investigation that ruled out unfair competition concerns.
-
The identity recovery gap: confident on paper, exposed in practiceAI-accelerated attacks weaponize the IAM ecosystem, moving faster than defenders can respond — making identity recoverability a top priority in restoring data and AI trust.
-
Dynatrace acquires observability firm Arize in $915m dealNews The move will see Arize’s AI evaluation capabilities combined with Dynatrace’s production monitoring technology across the AI development lifecycle
-
Companies are still paying ransoms to cyber criminals despite official adviceNews A Proofpoint survey found evolving ransomware techniques and the use of AI is exacerbating the situation for victims
-
This one cyber crime group accounted for nearly a fifth of all ransomware attacks in JuneNews The Gentlemen, a ransomware a service operator, now accounts for 17% of published attacks
-
Working with the enemy: Ransomware negotiator-turned cyber criminal jailed after working with hackers to extort clientsNews Angelo Martino was supposed to be negotiating on behalf of victims, but was secretly working for ransomware operators
-
Hackers are posing as Interpol to target small businesses – here's what you need to knowNews Small businesses are warned to think twice before clicking on links
-
‘Every hour ransomware goes undetected drastically increases its potential blast radius’: Hackers are breaching networks and laying low for longer – and nearly half of firms don’t realize until data is stolenNews An ExtraHop survey found more intrusions are going undetected, leading to longer dwell times
-
Ransomware cartels are fragmenting into volatile splinter groups, warns Met Police cyber chiefNews Commoditized "cyber crime bazaars" and AI data mining are forcing law enforcement to rewrite its playbook
-
New ransomware threat group, The Gentlemen, has become one of the most active ransomware operators, accounting for 10% of all attacksNews NTT researchers warn that the RaaS group is leveraging SystemBC malware to establish covert tunnelling, evade detection, and support rapid lateral movement across enterprise environments
-
Instructure chose to a pay ransom following the Canvas cyber attack – research shows more than half of security leaders would follow suitAnalysis Opting to pay ransoms creates huge risks for enterprises – you’re relying on the word of criminals
