Ransomware Protection: stop it, and recover fast if it gets through.
Ransomware is the top cause of business disruption for SMBs in Canada. Attackers encrypt your files, delete your backups, and demand payment. Many businesses never fully recover. North Star's ransomware protection stack is built around three principles: harden your environment to make attacks harder, deploy detection tools that spot ransomware behaviour before encryption completes, and maintain immutable backups that attackers cannot reach or delete - so you can recover without paying.
What does ransomware protection include?
Effective ransomware protection is not a single product - it is a layered approach covering prevention, detection, and recovery. Prevention includes removing unnecessary remote access, enforcing multi-factor authentication, patching systems on a strict schedule, and restricting which applications can run on your network. Detection uses EDR software to spot the file encryption patterns, unusual process activity, and shadow copy deletion that ransomware uses. Recovery relies on immutable backups stored off-site and offline - copies that ransomware on your network cannot touch. North Star designs, implements, and manages all three layers as part of a cybersecurity retainer. We also prepare a ransomware response runbook specific to your environment so your team knows what to do in the first 30 minutes of an attack, when decisions matter most.
What North Star delivers.
Harden your attack surface before attackers find it.
Close unnecessary remote access ports, enforce MFA on every account, restrict application execution with allowlisting, and patch on a fixed cycle. These steps eliminate the most common ransomware entry points.
Behavioural detection stops ransomware mid-encryption.
Modern EDR software recognises ransomware behaviour - mass file modification, shadow copy deletion, unusual process trees - and can automatically isolate the affected device before encryption spreads.
Backups attackers cannot delete.
North Star implements the 3-2-1-1 backup strategy: three copies, two media types, one off-site, one immutable (write-once storage that cannot be modified or deleted). Backups are tested monthly.
Written plan ready before you need it.
Who do you call at 2 AM? What do you unplug first? Who has authority to make decisions? Your runbook answers these questions in advance so panic does not drive the response.
Backup restores tested quarterly, not just assumed.
North Star runs quarterly restoration tests from your backup sets to confirm data integrity and measure recovery time. You get a written result so you know your actual RTO before a crisis.
Phishing and social engineering training for your team.
Most ransomware enters through phishing emails. North Star's security awareness training teaches staff to recognise and report suspicious messages before they click.
What buyers ask before they sign.
Should we pay the ransom if our systems are encrypted?
Law enforcement in Canada and the US advises against paying ransoms. Payment does not guarantee you will receive working decryption keys, and it funds further attacks. The best defence is immutable backups that make payment unnecessary. If you are in an active ransomware incident, call North Star before making any payment decisions.
How long does ransomware recovery take?
Recovery time depends on how much data needs to be restored and from which backup tier. With modern backup technology and a tested recovery plan, most SMBs can restore critical systems within four to 24 hours. Without tested backups, recovery can take days or weeks - or may be impossible.
Does cyber liability insurance cover ransomware?
Many cyber liability policies include ransomware coverage, but insurers increasingly require documented security controls - MFA, EDR, patching, and tested backups - as conditions for coverage. North Star can provide documentation of your security controls for insurance applications.
What is the 3-2-1-1 backup rule?
The 3-2-1-1 rule means: three copies of your data, on two different media types, with one copy stored off-site, and one copy immutable (write-once, cannot be deleted or modified). This structure ensures that even if ransomware reaches your on-site backups, the off-site immutable copy is untouchable.
How often should backups be tested?
North Star tests backup restores quarterly at minimum. This is often required by cyber insurance policies. Testing means actually restoring a sample of data and confirming it is readable - not just checking that backup jobs completed without errors.
Ready to protect your business from ransomware?
Tell us about your environment and we will come back with a scoped proposal in two business days. No obligation, no pressure.
Start Your Free Assessment Back to Cybersecurity