Ransomware is far from a solved problem, and data from the first quarter of 2025 proves it. The number of attacks grew by 110% compared to the same period in the previous year, revealing a worrying evolution in the threat landscape.
Behind this increase, two factors take center stage: the rise of GenAI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) and the RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-Service) model. These two fronts are transforming cybercrime on a massive scale, allowing even actors with little technical knowledge to carry out complex attacks with high destructive potential.
What’s Behind the New Wave of Ransomware?
Ransomware has evolved from an isolated threat to a sophisticated business model. RaaS allows criminal groups to develop ready-made attack kits and make them available as a service, outsourcing the execution of attacks to less experienced operators who pay a fee for using the infrastructure.
Simultaneously, GenAI is being used to automate tasks that previously required technical knowledge. With this, attackers can now:
Create highly personalized phishing emails.
Develop malicious code based on simple prompts.
Use deepfakes in fraud campaigns.
Automate the reconnaissance of vulnerabilities in target systems.
The result is ransomware that is more accessible, more aggressive, and harder to contain.
Por que o ransomware moderno é mais perigoso?
O ransomware atual não depende mais apenas de técnicas de criptografia. Ele explora movimentação lateral, falhas de segmentação de rede, engenharia social automatizada e, muitas vezes, permanece oculto por semanas antes de ser detectado.
Segundo estudos recentes, o tempo médio para identificar e conter uma violação é de 277 dias, sendo 207 dias para detecção e 70 dias para contenção.
Durante esse período, os invasores comprometem múltiplos sistemas, extraem dados sensíveis e executam o ataque final no momento mais estratégico.
Isso faz do ransomware uma ameaça operacional de alto impacto, que compromete não só a segurança, mas a continuidade do negócio.
Why Is Modern Ransomware More Dangerous?
Current ransomware no longer relies solely on encryption techniques. It exploits lateral movement, network segmentation failures, automated social engineering, and often remains hidden for weeks before being detected.
According to recent studies, the average time to identify and contain a breach is 277 days—207 days for detection and 70 days for containment. During this period, attackers compromise multiple systems, extract sensitive data, and execute the final attack at the most strategic moment. This makes ransomware a high-impact operational threat that compromises not only security but also business continuity.
How to Protect Yourself from Advanced Ransomware?
1. Isolation with Network Microsegmentation
Microsegmentation divides the infrastructure into small logical blocks with specific access policies. This prevents the lateral movement of attackers and limits the scope of an attack, even if a segment is compromised.
Advantages of Microsegmentation:
Immediate threat containment.
Reduction of impact on critical environments.
Granular access control and internal visibility.
Compliance support for LGPD, GDPR, and other regulations.
2. Adoption of Least Privilege Policies
Granting broad access is one of the main flaws exploited in ransomware attacks. Reduce the attack surface by applying the principle of least privilege: each user or system should only access what is strictly necessary.
3. Continuous Monitoring and Automated Response
Defensive AI-based tools like EDR, SIEM, and NDR should be integrated to detect anomalous patterns and trigger automated responses in real-time. This reduces the exposure window and increases containment capability.
4. Continuous Team Education
Technology without training is not enough. The main entry point for ransomware is still human error. Promote a security culture with phishing simulations, regular training, and awareness campaigns.
GenAI and RaaS: Real, Not Just Theoretical, Risks
While many headlines talk about “autonomous” AI attacks, the most immediate risks lie in the massification of attacks by non-specialized actors. GenAI and RaaS are facilitating the automation and commercialization of cybercrime, lowering entry barriers and increasing the volume and speed of malicious campaigns. Companies that still rely on static perimeters and traditional defense are more exposed than ever.
Prevention Is Cheaper and More Strategic
Protecting yourself against advanced ransomware requires not only new tools but a new mindset. Strategies like microsegmentation, granular access control, lateral visibility, and automated response are fundamental to containing attacks before they cause irreversible damage.
Investing in prevention costs, on average, less than 1% of what would be needed to respond to a full-blown attack. The question, then, is no longer “if” it’s worth it, but how long your organization can last without changing.
Want to protect your company from advanced ransomware?
Talk to Altasnet specialists and discover how to implement an effective security architecture capable of isolating threats, blocking lateral movements, and protecting critical data.
In 2025, 43% of large companies have already implemented Zero Trust security principles, and another 46% are in the process of adoption, according to a January 2025 Expert Insights survey.
This scenario shows that the model is no longer just a concept but has become a concrete reality for most organizations—which reinforces the urgency of understanding how to apply a Zero Trust Network in practice to reduce critical risks.
With the expansion of distributed environments, remote work, and the adoption of hybrid clouds, traditional perimeters have ceased to exist. Now, it’s up to IT managers and analysts to answer: How to structure a Zero Trust network in a practical, gradual, and efficient way, ensuring resilience and operational continuity?
Why the Traditional Network Is No Longer Secure by Default
Most corporate network architectures are still based on a trusted perimeter, with limited control within the internal network. This means that once inside the network, users and systems have broad access, an ideal scenario for lateral movements by attackers and internal threats.
The Zero Trust Network, on the other hand, starts from the principle that no device, user, or service should be trusted by default, not even within the network itself.
Comparison: Traditional Network vs. Zero Trust Network
Feature
Traditional Network
Zero Trust Network Architecture
Trust
Implicit after initial authentication
Never presumed, validated at each request
Segmentation
Limited or non-existent
Microsegmentation by function/context
Visibility
Partial
Total and in real-time
Access Policies
Static and generic
Dynamic, based on risk and context
Threat Response
Reactive
Proactive, automated, and contextualized
Zero Trust Network in Practice: Pillars for Your Company
Implementing a Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) requires more than just adopting tools; it requires transforming the network structure so that it responds to risks in real-time, is segmented by function, and integrates continuous identity and context validations.
Technical pillars for building a Zero Trust Network:
Continuous and Adaptive Authentication: Constant validation of identity, location, device, and risk.
Network Microsegmentation: Separation of environments by function, criticality level, and exposure.
End-to-End Visibility (East-West): Control over lateral traffic and granular monitoring of internal communications.
Least Privilege Access: “Need-to-know” policy, with continuous review of permissions.
Integration with Solutions like EDR, NDR, SIEM, and SOAR: To automatically detect and respond to anomalies.
Best Practices for Applying a Zero Trust Network in Corporate Environments
Adopting the Zero Trust Network architecture requires a strategic vision and gradual action. The ideal is to start with critical areas and scale as the organization matures. Here’s how:
Mapping assets and data flows between systems.
Implementing access policies based on identity and context.
Creating isolated domains within the network (micro-perimeters).
Monitoring internal traffic with NDR/UEBA tools.
Applying strong authentication and logical segmentation by application.
Zero Trust Network: A Strategic Decision to Protect What Really Matters
Adopting a Zero Trust Network is a strategic business decision. This architecture allows you to respond with intelligence, visibility, and control, even in the face of hybrid, multi-user, and highly complex environments. By implementing a zero-trust-based network, your company takes a decisive step toward ensuring operational continuity, compliance, and critical data security.
Do you want to know where to start?
Talk to an Altasnet specialist and discover how to implement a Zero Trust Network aligned with your environment, your strategy, and your level of technological maturity.
Cloud computing has accelerated the digital transformation of companies worldwide. With it came the promise of scalability, mobility, cost reduction, and greater business agility. However, as cloud usage grows, so does the interest of cybercriminals.
Cloud environments have become increasingly attractive targets, mainly because they concentrate massive volumes of sensitive data, critical partner integrations, and an architecture that, when poorly managed, can expose dangerous vulnerabilities. Understanding these threats is the first step to protecting your environment.
In this article, you will discover why the cloud is in the crosshairs of attackers and how your company can anticipate these risks.
The Expansion of the Cloud and the Increased Attack Surface
Applications, management systems, files, integrations, and even entire infrastructures are being transferred to platforms like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. This exponentially expands the attack surface and makes companies more dependent on consistent, well-structured security.
Multicloud and hybrid environments increase operational complexity and multiply the entry points that need to be monitored. This expansion, if not accompanied by a robust governance model, represents a real risk to business continuity.
Why Has the Cloud Become Such an Attractive Target?
It’s not just the growth in usage that draws attention. The cloud, by nature, is a dynamic environment. Development teams quickly deploy new applications, create APIs, adjust access rules, and more. And in this process, configuration errors happen.
These errors, such as excessive permissions, public data storage, or authentication failures, are among the main causes of data breaches and hacks, according to Check Point. In addition, credential theft and the misuse of privileged access continue to be the most exploited paths for criminals to penetrate cloud environments.
The Most Frequent Threats in Cloud Environments
Among the most common and dangerous attacks are:
Ransomware and RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-Service) Data hijacking attacks have evolved and now operate as purchasable services. Cybercriminals without technical knowledge can rent a ready-made infrastructure and target companies of any size, exploiting vulnerabilities in cloud environments.
Supply Chain Attacks A vulnerable supplier can be the entry point to compromise your entire operation. In integrated environments, the risk multiplies and requires strict security policies for third parties.
Cloud Malware Modern malware spreads silently between applications, instances, and containers, using the cloud’s own resources to avoid detection. The cloud is also used as a persistence point for this malware.
Shadow IT The unauthorized use of cloud solutions outside of IT’s control exposes data and makes it difficult to apply security policies. Tools like personal drives and unapproved SaaS applications silently increase risk.
Identity and Credential Abuse Exploiting compromised credentials allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users and perform lateral movements within the environment. This makes detection difficult and increases the potential for damage.
How to Strengthen Cloud Security with Effective Strategies
The good news is that there are clear ways to mitigate these risks and keep your company protected. Below, we highlight best practices adopted by organizations with a high level of maturity in cloud security:
Zero Trust Model Don’t trust anyone, not even within the network. The Zero Trust model limits access based on identity, context, and behavioral analysis. This reduces the attack surface and prevents unauthorized movements within the environment.
Identity-Based Security Identity control is the new frontier of digital security. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), Least Privilege policies, and continuous monitoring of credentials to block improper access.
XDR and SIEM for Total Visibility Extended detection and response (XDR) solutions and SIEM platforms help identify suspicious behavior in real time. They correlate data from multiple sources to anticipate and contain threats more quickly.
Automation and AI for Rapid Response Artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly used to identify anomalous patterns and accelerate incident response. With automation, IT reduces reaction time and increases containment accuracy.
Protecting the Cloud Is a Strategic Decision
If your company is already in the cloud or plans to migrate, security needs to be at the center of the strategy. It’s not just about protecting data, but about ensuring continuity, resilience, and trust in an increasingly connected environment.
At Altasnet, we help companies raise the level of protection for their cloud environments with specialized consulting, advanced visibility solutions, and the implementation of security best practices adapted to their reality.
Want to know how to strengthen your company’s cloud security? Schedule a conversation with our specialists and see how we can help
APIs are essential for connecting systems, partners, and applications in an increasingly interconnected digital ecosystem. But many organizations do not have a complete view of the APIs that are actually in use in their environment, including those that have been forgotten, poorly documented, or created without the knowledge of security teams.
This technological “blind spot” creates dangerous vulnerabilities, making compliance difficult, increasing the risk of breaches, and compromising the entire cybersecurity protection strategy. It is in this scenario that API Discovery becomes indispensable for security and compliance.
The Invisible Challenge: Hidden and Forgotten APIs
With the acceleration of digital integrations, APIs emerge from all sides: created by internal developers, made available by external partners, deployed in local applications, or hosted in cloud or hybrid environments.
However, not all of these APIs go through formal documentation, approval, and registration processes. Often, IT and security teams simply don’t know they exist, and what isn’t visible cannot be protected.
These untracked APIs, known as “shadow APIs” or hidden APIs, represent a serious threat. They can be outdated, vulnerable, open to attack, and outside corporate security policies. The risk is aggravated when we talk about complex environments, with multiple providers, microservices, and external integrations that multiply rapidly.
API Discovery: What It Is and How It Works
API Discovery is the process of automatically identifying all APIs present in a corporate environment, whether on-premise, in the cloud, hybrid, or external. Specialized API Discovery tools scan network traffic, detect active endpoints, catalog known and hidden APIs, analyze their behaviors, and create an up-to-date inventory.
This mapping is the basis for:
Defining security and compliance policies aligned with the reality of the environment.
Identifying vulnerabilities and gaps before they are exploited.
Standardizing authentication, authorization, and encryption practices.
Monitoring changes and risks in real-time.
Ensuring that integrations are in compliance with business objectives.
Without an efficient API Discovery process, any security strategy will be incomplete, as it is based on a wrong or, worse, incomplete map.
Benefits of API Discovery for Security and Compliance
In addition to technical risks, there are also legal implications. Regulations like LGPD, GDPR, and others require companies to have control over the data that circulates in their environments, including when transferred via APIs. A company that is unaware of the APIs it has can hardly guarantee regulatory compliance, exposing itself to fines, sanctions, and reputational damage from corporate data or customer data breaches.
API Discovery is, therefore, not just a technical tool but a strategic ally to keep the company secure, in compliance, and prepared for the challenges of the digital ecosystem.
Protect Your APIs with the Experts: Altasnet
Mapping, managing, and protecting APIs in complex environments is not a simple task. It requires cutting-edge tools, specialized knowledge, and a strategy well-aligned with the company’s objectives. That’s why Altasnet offers advanced solutions for API Discovery, security, and digital governance, ensuring that no vulnerability goes unnoticed.
Don’t let invisible APIs compromise your company’s security and compliance.Talk to an Altasnet specialist or call via WhatsAppand see how API Discovery can shield your company from invisible risks and ensure full compliance.
API security has become essential for companies that seek to protect digital integrations, confidential data, and operational continuity.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the invisible link between web, mobile, and IoT applications and cloud services, making them crucial for the agility and scalability of modern businesses. However, with the popularization of APIs, the risks also increase: cyberattacks, data breaches, and service disruptions. Therefore, implementing a robust API security strategy is a priority.
The Central Role of API Security in the Corporate Environment
At the center of digital transformation are APIs, which enable marketplaces, payment systems, CRMs, cloud platforms, and connected devices. While they drive innovation, these integrations also expand the attack surface of organizations.
According to the State of API Security 2025 report, 94% of companies reported security problems involving APIs in the last year, and 20% suffered sensitive data breaches. This data highlights the urgency of adopting effective API security policies.
The Role of Bots in API Vulnerabilities
The OWASP API Security Top 10 list highlights the main risks, many of which are amplified by malicious bots. They are used for brute force, credential theft, resource overload, and the exploitation of sensitive commercial flows. These threats are intensified by the use of automated tools that scan APIs for vulnerabilities. Without adequate protection, a simple API can become a gateway for major breaches.
Advanced Bot Threats and the Need for Modern Defenses
Sophisticated bots can bypass CAPTCHAs, mask IPs, and mimic human behavior. To combat them, it is essential to apply AI, machine learning, client-side signal collection, and behavioral validation. Interactive APIs, accessed by users in apps and websites, are more vulnerable than machine-to-machine communication APIs, requiring real-time monitoring and response.
Solutions Offered by Altasnet for API Security
Altasnet provides a complete platform to ensure API security in all phases:
Automated Discovery: Detection of endpoints, shadow APIs, and automatic generation of OpenAPI specifications.
Sensitive Data Protection: Detection and blocking of leaks of PII, PCI, compliance data, and customized information.
Bot Defense: Identifies and mitigates automated behaviors based on browser signals and usage patterns.
Inline Execution: Web application firewall with mitigation of OWASP and DoS attacks, and JWT validation.
DevSecOps: Integrates security into the development lifecycle with automation and infrastructure as code.
Altasnet’s solutions can be deployed as SaaS, on-premise, managed environments, or containers. They are ideal for the discovery, protection, and efficient delivery of APIs with high performance and availability.
Why Altasnet Is the Right Choice for API Security
API security goes beyond technology: it requires deep knowledge, constant monitoring, and strategy. Altasnet acts as a strategic partner in protecting your digital ecosystem. With advanced solutions, a specialized team, and comprehensive support, it helps your company mitigate risks, prevent disruptions, and protect valuable data.
Want to strengthen your API security strategy?
Contact Altasnet and discover how to protect your business with efficiency and confidence.
O Brasil ocupa a segunda posição entre os países mais atacados do mundo por cibercriminosos. Em um período de 12 meses, foram registrados mais de 700 milhões de ataques cibernéticos no país, totalizando 1.379 por minuto, segundo o relatório Panorama de Ameaças para a América Latina 2024. Já o custo médio global de uma violação de dados alcançou US$ 4,88 milhões, enquanto no Brasil esse número chegou a R$ 6,75 milhões por incidente, segundo a Forbes Brasil.
Esses números confirmam o que muitas empresas já suspeitam: não saber onde estão suas vulnerabilidades é um dos maiores riscos corporativos da atualidade.
O que é um Pentest (Teste de Penetração)?
O Pentest é um teste de segurança cibernética que simula ataques reais em redes, sistemas, aplicações ou dispositivos, com o objetivo de identificar vulnerabilidades antes que sejam exploradas por criminosos.
Embora esteja inserido no contexto do hacking ético — prática autorizada de testar sistemas com o objetivo de fortalecer a segurança —, o Pentest se destaca como uma metodologia prática, que reproduz o comportamento de atacantes reais para medir a eficácia das defesas e indicar onde estão os pontos frágeis da infraestrutura.
Ao explorar de forma controlada os pontos fracos de um ambiente, o Pentest oferece uma visão precisa e acionável das brechas que precisam ser corrigidas antes que causem danos reais.
Tipos de Pentest: interno, externo, em aplicações e redes
O Pentest pode ser aplicado em diferentes contextos, conforme os objetivos e escopo da análise:
Pentest de aplicações: identifica falhas em sistemas web, mobile, APIs e aplicações em nuvem, com base em vulnerabilidades conhecidas (como as do OWASP Top 10).
Pentest de rede externa: simula ataques de fora da organização para avaliar o que um invasor externo pode acessar.
Pentest de rede interna: investiga o que um colaborador mal-intencionado (ou um invasor com credenciais) conseguiria comprometer.
Pentest de hardware e dispositivos: avalia falhas em dispositivos conectados (IoT, notebooks, equipamentos de rede).
Pentest de pessoal: testa a vulnerabilidade de colaboradores frente a táticas de engenharia social (como phishing e vishing).
Benefícios do Pentest: prevenção e compliance
Realizar testes de penetração regularmente traz benefícios concretos para a segurança e a governança corporativa:
Identifica vulnerabilidades reais, não apenas potenciais riscos.
Evita perdas financeiras e danos à reputação causados por invasões.
Apoia a conformidade com normas como PCI-DSS, GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001 e LGPD.
Reduz falsos positivos, com foco em falhas exploráveis de fato.
Complementa as avaliações de vulnerabilidades com uma abordagem prática e realista.
Como a Altasnet realiza Pentests sob medida
Na Altasnet, os Pentests são conduzidos por especialistas em cibersegurança com experiência real em simulação de ataques. Utilizamos metodologias internacionalmente reconhecidas, como:
OWASP Testing Guide;
NIST SP 800-115;
PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard).
Cada projeto é adaptado ao contexto e às necessidades da empresa. Nossos testes combinam ferramentas automatizadas e técnicas manuais, garantindo uma análise completa e confiável.
Ao final, entregamos um relatório detalhado, com vulnerabilidades encontradas, explorações realizadas, impactos potenciais e recomendações de correção.
Por que investir em Pentest agora mesmo?
Ignorar vulnerabilidades é o mesmo que deixar a porta aberta para ataques. O Pentest não apenas revela falhas críticas, mas orienta a correção com base em evidências reais e simulações práticas. Empresas que investem em testes de penetração aumentam drasticamente sua maturidade em segurança e reduzem o risco de incidentes graves.
Se você busca proteger dados, cumprir regulamentações e manter a confiança de clientes e parceiros, essa é a hora de agir.
A Altasnet está pronta para ajudar sua empresa a fortalecer sua defesa com inteligência, precisão e resultados reais.
