How to deal with ransomware on Azure

The blog post by Nigel Douglas offers a comprehensive guide on mitigating ransomware attacks in Microsoft Azure environments by leveraging Azure's native security tools and best practices. It explains that ransomware is a consequence of failures in threat detection and emphasizes the importance of early detection and mitigation strategies. The post highlights the Azure Threat Research Matrix, which begins with reconnaissance rather than initial access, and outlines various attack vectors such as compromised accounts and misconfigurations. Key recommended practices include limiting user permissions using the least-privilege principle, enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and configuring Network Security Groups (NSGs) to control inbound and outbound traffic. It also advises on employing tools like Microsoft Defender and Azure Sentinel for threat detection, and using Just-In-Time VM Access to restrict port access. The importance of backup management as a last line of defense is underscored, alongside a 3-2-1 backup strategy to ensure data resilience. The blog stresses the need for continuous monitoring and automated security posture management to prevent ransomware attacks effectively, advocating for tools like Sysdig Secure that offer cross-cloud security management capabilities.