What is Conti?
Conti (S0575) is a destructive ransomware strain used to perform data encryption on infected systems. This renders them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. After gaining entry, it moves laterally to compromise multiple systems before launching its attack.
Conti is known for its use of double extortion: before encrypting files, it exfiltrates sensitive data and threatens to leak it, adding significant pressure on victims to pay the ransom.
How to Defend Against Conti?
Defending against Conti ransomware requires a focus on preventing lateral movement and protecting critical data.
- Maintain regular, offline backups of critical data to ensure recovery is possible without paying a ransom.
- Implement network segmentation to limit the ransomware’s ability to move laterally across the network.
- Keep all software and systems patched to close the vulnerabilities that are often used for initial access.
- Deploy endpoint detection and antivirus to identify and block the ransomware’s execution and encryption routines.
- Use network detection (NDR) and integrated threat intelligence to spot and block C2 communications and data exfiltration.
