A Study of Ransomware Countermeasures

Abstract

With the significant rise in ransomware attacks in the last decade, the amount of research on mitigating these attacks has also increased. This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of recent studies on ransomware mitigation, shedding light on the ongoing battle against this cyber threat. It examines the history, impact, and potential future direction of ransomware, aiming to contribute to the development of effective security strategies to enhance overall cyber security resilience. This thesis explores opportunities to improve countermeasures and provides valuable perspectives on the current discourse surrounding ransomware mitigation. A significant part of this research involves a systematic literature review of studies focused on ransomware countermeasures. This qualitative review aims to develop a thorough understanding of these countermeasures and their effectiveness. By analyzing the recent literature on the topic, the review categorizes the employed countermeasures into detection, prevention, and defense, highlighting the diverse approaches researchers have adopted in combating ransomware. The findings reveal that detection has been the most extensively studied countermeasure, which is also viewed as the second-best line of defense after prevention. It is evident from this work that machine learning have been widely employed in ransomware detection, and the future of this technology in this realm appears very promising. The methodologies used in the selected studies has been analyzed and categorized to provide a clear overview of the research landscape. This thesis primarily focuses on crypto-ransomware, and the terms crypto-ransomware and ransomware have been used interchangeably. The primary contribution of this thesis is to offer an up-to-date understanding of ransomware and current research on this topic. By exploring the realm of ransomware and its countermeasures, this work hopes to assist future research and provide a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of various countermeasures against ransomware. Through this detailed exploration, this thesis not only highlights the current state of ransomware research but also aims to guide future efforts in developing robust security strategies to combat this constantly evolving and pervasive threat.