Ransomware knowledge base
Ransomware & Cyber Resilience FAQs
Direct answers on how ransomware works, how to defend against it, and how to recover cleanly, with a focus on the data layer where Elastio proves recovery.
89 questions
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- Ransomware BasicsWhat ransomware is, how it works, how it spreads, and how attackers extort victims.23 questions →
- Backups & Data ResilienceWhether ransomware can reach your backups and cloud data, and how to keep recovery copies clean.12 questions →
- Detection & EvasionHow ransomware evades endpoint, perimeter, and backup tools — and what actually detects it.22 questions →
- Recovery & Incident ResponseWhat to do during and after a ransomware attack, and how to recover cleanly without reinfection.15 questions →
- Compliance, Insurance & EvidenceCyber insurance, regulatory requirements, and producing auditable evidence of recoverability.8 questions →
- Systems & Storage at RiskWhich enterprise systems and storage ransomware can reach — from Windows and Linux to cloud and NAS.6 questions →
- Elastio PlatformHow Elastio detects ransomware inside your data and proves clean, recoverable backups.3 questions →
Every question
Ransomware Basics
- What is ransomware?
- What is crypto ransomware?
- What is locker ransomware?
- What is wiper malware?
- Is ransomware malware?
- How does ransomware work?
- How does ransomware infect?
- How is ransomware delivered?
- How does ransomware spread?
- How do most ransomware attacks happen?
- What does ransomware do?
- What does ransomware do to an endpoint device?
- What is an encryption key?
- What programming language is ransomware written in?
- What is ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)?
- What is a ransomware campaign?
- What is a ransomware gang?
- What is triple extortion?
- Why does ransomware exfiltrate data?
- How does ransomware exfiltrate data?
- What is phishing?
- What is social engineering?
- What is the dark web?
Backups & Data Resilience
- Can ransomware infect backups?
- How do you protect backups from ransomware?
- Can ransomware infect encrypted backups?
- Can immutable backups still contain ransomware?
- Can ransomware infect cloud storage?
- What is the 3-2-1 backup rule for ransomware?
- Why can a backup that "completed successfully" still fail to recover?
- What does backup integrity validation check?
- What is backup destruction?
- What are the 4 pillars of cyber resilience?
- What is Volume Shadow Copy?
- How can you be resilient against ransomware?
Detection & Evasion
- How does ransomware bypass security?
- What is ransomware prevention?
- What file extensions does ransomware leave or change?
- What is antivirus (AV)?
- What is next-generation antivirus (NGAV)?
- What is endpoint protection (EPP)?
- What is extended detection and response (XDR)?
- What is artificial intelligence (AI) in security?
- What is machine learning (ML) in security?
- What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?
- What is network segmentation?
- What is Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)?
- What is fileless malware?
- What is threat hunting?
- How does Elastio detect ransomware that endpoint and perimeter security miss?
- Can Elastio detect zero-day or unknown ransomware?
- How does Elastio detect intermittent encryption?
- Can Elastio detect insider threats?
- What about attacks that use no ransomware binary, such as the Codefinger attack?
- What threats besides ransomware does Elastio find?
- Why is anomaly or entropy detection not enough?
- What results has Elastio seen across customers?
Recovery & Incident Response
- What should you do if attacked with ransomware?
- What to do if your computer is infected with ransomware?
- What to do after a ransomware attack?
- How do you recover from a ransomware attack?
- Is a clean recovery point the same as a recent backup?
- What evidence do you need before restoring after ransomware?
- What is clean room ransomware recovery?
- How do you recover files after a ransomware attack?
- How can ransomware be removed?
- How do you mitigate a ransomware attack?
- How long does it take to recover from ransomware?
- How do you report a ransomware attack?
- What is incident response?
- How does Elastio prevent reinfection during recovery?
- Does Elastio produce evidence for audits, insurers, and the board?
Compliance, Insurance & Evidence
- What is cyber insurance?
- Does cyber insurance cover ransomware?
- Which regulations and frameworks does Elastio help with?
- How does Elastio support NYDFS (23 NYCRR 500)?
- How does Elastio support DORA?
- How does Elastio support SEC cybersecurity disclosure?
- Is Elastio itself certified, and what is its security posture?
- Does Elastio provide compliance documentation for vendor security reviews?
Systems & Storage at Risk
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