Ransomware is a pervasive and costly threat to businesses of all sizes, but enterprises are particularly attractive targets due to their vast stores of sensitive data and critical systems.
The impacts of a malicious ransomware attack are broad and have lasting implications. Financially, ransomware can be devastating. Beyond the ransom demand itself, which can reach millions of dollars, businesses face substantial downtime costs, recovery expenses and potential legal and regulatory fines.
They also have to contend with operational disruption that can cripple core functions and impact productivity, customer service and supply chains. In addition, the reputational damage from a ransomware attack can erode customer trust, tarnish brand image and lead to a loss of market share.
Investing in robust ransomware defence is a necessity for enterprises, which should build a comprehensive and multi-layered strategy that includes the adoption of advanced technologies and security platforms. Here, we consider 10 of those that are effectively protecting businesses in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
10. Malwarebytes Endpoint Detection and Response
CEO: Marcin Kleczynski
Founded: 2008
Malwarebytes was founded in 2008 on a clear premise: when people and organisations are free from threats, they are free to thrive. Its world-class team of threat researchers and security experts protect millions, using AI and machine learning to focus on endpoint detection and response with a strong emphasis on ransomware remediation. It uses a multi-layered approach to defend against ransomware that combines signature-less behavioural monitoring, heuristic analysis, real-time protection and more to help businesses protect critical data and systems from costly attacks.
9. ESET PROTECT
CEO: Richard Marko
Founded: 1992
Over a billion users worldwide rely on ESET’s solutions to stay secure. Its ESET PROTECT platform provides enterprises with cloud-first, next generation prevention, detection, and proactive threat hunting capabilities. ESET’s Ransomware Shield monitors the behaviour of applications and processes that try to modify files in ways common for ransomware/file coders. Its enterprise solutions provide multiple layers of defence to not just prevent ransomware but to detect it if it ever appears within an organisation.
8. Arctic Wolf Aurora
CEO: Nick Schneider
Founded: 2012
Arctic Wolf takes a comprehensive and proactive approach to ransomware defence, combining advanced technology with human expertise to protect businesses. Its ransomware protection is delivered through threat intelligence, endpoint security and incident response. For example, Arctic Wolf Labs uses threat intelligence to detect ransomware campaigns and implement new protections, while also enhancing detection capabilities based on new information. The company’s incident response team helps stop an attack and restore business including negotiating with and removing threat actors, determining cause and extent, and restoring critical systems.
7. Symantec Endpoint Security
CEO: Hock Tan
Founded: 1982
Symantec is part of Broadcom and offers comprehensive and data-centric enterprise security solutions. Its Endpoint Security Complete tool combines traditional signature-based detection with advanced technologies like behavioural analysis (SONAR) and machine learning to identify and block both known and unknown ransomware threats. Behavioural analysis helps identify and block ransomware by its behaviour, such as encrypting files or modifying boot records, and Symantec also offers integrated backup and recovery capabilities to help businesses restore their data should an attack be successful.
6. Trend Micro XGen
CEO: Eva Chen
Founded: 1988
Trend Micro is a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity that offers a multi-layered approach to ransomware protection, including endpoint security, network security and advanced threat prevention. Its XGen security platform is designed to anticipate and adapt to evolving threats, protecting against ransomware and other malicious attacks. It includes threat detection capabilities, data loss prevention and device control, encryption and centralised management that provides greater visibility. Trend Micro also uses predictive machine learning to analyse, identify and block ransomware that may evade traditional detection methods.
5. Sophos Endpoint
CEO: Joe Levy
Founded: 1985
Sophos offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to mitigate the impacts of ransomware. Sophos Endpoint is used by enterprises as the foundation for defence against even the most advanced and novel ransomware attacks. It uses deep learning and anti-exploit technology to block ransomware before it can execute, and includes CryptoGuard technology, which prevents unauthorised encryption of files. The company also offers a 24/7 managed detection and response service that provides continuous monitoring and expert threat response, and Sophos XDR, which enables faster detection and response.
4. Trellix XDR
CEO: Vishal Rao
Founded: 2022
Formed from the merger between McAfee Enterprise and FireEye, Trellix uses its Gen AI-powered platform to focus on extended detection and response (XDR). Its XDR platform provides a holistic and enterprise-wide view that correlates data from endpoints, networks and cloud environments. This enables faster detection and response to ransomware attacks and the capability to proactively hunt, identify and neutralise threats. Other anti-ransomware capabilities include the ability to reverse the effects of ransomware encryption, email and web security, and deception tech that lures and identifies attackers.
3. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
CEO: Satya Nadella
Founded: 1975
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise-level security solution designed to prevent, detect and respond to advanced threats like ransomware across all company devices, including laptops, phones, and servers. This offers robust anti-ransomware features for large organisations that includes advanced threat detection, automated investigation and remediation, and capabilities to disrupt ransomware attacks already in progress. Microsoft also advocates for a Zero Trust security model. This limits the impact of ransomware attacks by restricting access to sensitive data and resources, even if an attacker gains initial access to the network.
2. SentinelOne Singularity
CEO: Tomer Weingarten
Founded: 2013
SentinelOne recognises that an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape requires fast and smart action beyond just human-power technology. Instead, it has created an intelligent, data- and AI-driven enterprise-wide cybersecurity platform built that leans heavily on autonomous technology. The Singularity platform encompasses prevention, detection, response and threat hunting across user endpoints, containers, cloud workloads and other devices.
AI-powered prevention proactively identifies and blocks ransomware before it can execute and its AI engine analyses file behaviour, network activity and other factors to recognise malicious patterns. Singularity is also designed to autonomously respond to ransomware attacks, minimising the need for human detection, and includes comprehensive endpoint detection and response capabilities.
SentinelOne has also developed innovative Storyline technology, which provides a visual representation of an attack that provides clarity over root cause and helps heighten response times. Singularity’s Ransomware Rollback feature is often cited for its ability to roll back and restore to a pre-infection state.
1. CrowdStrike Falcon
CEO: George Kurtz
Founded: 2011
CrowdStrike Falcon achieved 100% ransomware detection, 100% prevention and 100% accuracy in the 2024 SE Labs Enterprise Advanced Security Ransomware Test, the largest public ransomware test, for the third consecutive time. And for good reason. The cloud-native Falcon platform offers a comprehensive and advanced suite of tools and technologies designed to prevent, detect and respond to ransomware attacks and safeguard enterprise data.
Its powerful combination of AI and threat intelligence makes it possible to actively hunt down known and unknown ransomware and neutralise it before it strikes. Other prevention capabilities include Next-Generation Antivirus, which uses machine learning and behavioural analysis to identify and block malware, exploit blocking, Indicator of Attack or behaviour pattern analysis.
CrowdStrike’s OverWatch team provides a managed threat hunting service that monitors activity 24/7, and its team collects data on emerging trends and threats so the Falcon platform remains up to date. The company also offers remediation and recovery, visibility across all endpoints, and training and exercises for team members.
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