How Email-Based Ransomware Attacks Function & How To Defeat Them

Another day, another spooky ransomware event. If you are reading this, you are either concerned about facing an email-based ransomware attack yourself, or — worse — you already have. And if you think of ransomware as just some obnoxious malware problem, you’re not seeing the big picture. These attacks aren’t merely common. They’re devastating.

I’ve watched businesses — banks, hospitals, even small companies — come to a halt because someone, somewhere, clicked on the wrong email. And I’ve been playing this game long enough (since the dial-up era, if we’re getting particular) that I witnessed the transformation of ransomware from an irritation into a billion-dollar crime industry.

So let’s dig into it. Remove all the fluff, just actionable cyber security you can implement today.

How Ransomware Uses Emails

Ransomware is still spread by email 1 way. Why? Because people are easy to fool.

Here’s the usual cycle:

• You—or someone on your team—receives an email that appears legitimate. Perhaps from Microsoft, perhaps your bank, possibly even a co-worker (kudos, spoofing).
• There’s an attachment: Invoice. pdf. zip, or Urgent_Security_Update. exe… something tempting.
• You open it. Boom—payload executed.
• The ransomware begins encrypting files almost instantly. Textfiles, masheets, datablocks. All of it held hostage to a ransom demand.

And sometimes it is even worse — attackers not only lock files but steal them first (double extortion). Now you’re not just locked out, but are in the midst of a data breach nightmare.

In the early 2000s, email viruses were generally a nuisance. Slammer worm? That was bad, but at least it wasn’t stealing your data and trying to blackmail you for cryptocurrency. Now, with more automation and smarter phishing techniques, they’re practically unstoppable—unless you ironclad your email security before they strike.

The Dangers of Clicking on the Wrong Link

Attachments are not the only big issue. Links embedded in emails can be just as dangerous — and sometimes worse.

Here’s how it works:

• You receive an email asking you to confirm resetting your password (because somebody attempted to access your account).
• The link leads to a login page that looks legitimate. But it’s a phony.
• You enter your credentials. Attackers steal them.
• Your login also has admin access (good password hygiene strikes again), so they penetrate into your company’s network.
• A week later? A full-on ransomware attack from the inside—your own credentials aided and abetted it.

Phishing links are also getting cleverer. They use shortened URLs to evade security filtering, send fake thread responses to make emails appear to be real conversations, and — most troubling of all — send bait with the hacked accounts of your coworkers.

This is exactly why don’t click suspicious emails is the worst advice. It assumes people can never miss the attack. But guess what? That’s because attackers are getting damn good at crafting phishing emails that appear authentic.

Best Email Security Practices

Trusting humans to be careful is not a cybersecurity strategy — it’s wishful thinking. Instead, create layers of defenses around your email. Here’s how:

1. Implement Advanced Email Filtering (Not Only Spam Filtering)
   • Simple spam filters are not enough. You want non-AI anti-ransomware filtering (I said it — can we just stop with AI-powered security marketing?)
   • At PJ Networks we roll out Fortinet anti-ransomware solutions — because we have seen it stop real-world attacks before they even enter inboxes.
2. Stop Executables and Macros in the Emails
   • No one should be getting .exe, .vbs, or .js files through email.
   • Default to disable macros (the number of ransomware strains that use VBA macros is ridiculous).
3. Use MFA Everywhere
   • Even if someone nabs your login, they won’t have the MFA code — unless you’re still using SMS authentication (which… don’t).
4. User Training — Yes, But With Real-World Simulations
   • Stop giving employees a PowerPoint on phishing.
   • Add phishing simulation platforms that deploy fake attacks. Simply wear them instead of boring slide presentations.
5. Configure Email Security: DMARC, DKIM, SPF
   • Sounds technical? It is. But without these, attackers can literally email as you.
   • If your IT team is not enforcing proper email authentication, get that fixed today.

Anti-Ransomware Solutions by PJ Networks

The reasons why we use Fortinet-based email security solutions are:

1. We have tested them against live ransomware campaigns.
2. They intercept harmful attachments before they ever reach your inbox.
3. They use sandboxing to safely detonate suspicious files—so the threats are neutralized before they can get in.

And look, I’ve been doing network security since we were running voice and data over PSTN lines using multiplexers (you don’t even want to know how horrible trying to secure that was). I’ve seen every kind of security vendor pitch you can think of, and many overpromise.

The best email security? The kind that prevents ransomware instantly. No intelligent detection powered by AI after it sprouts. Just hard filtering and some degree of sophisticated analysis before it even gets to users. That’s why we rely on Fortinet email security solutions.

Beyond tech? We also help companies configure Zero-Trust architectures—because email filtering does not do the trick. (By the way, I just wrapped up three banks on this — I promise getting ransomware into your business network is worse than any compliance fine you’re trying to sidestep.)

Conclusion

Here’s the thing — ransomware is not going away.

• It’s accelerating (some strains encode your files in minutes).
• It’s getting smarter (ransomware gangs have customer support hot lines now — yes, really).
• And it’s become pricier (Ransom requests have increased by 100 percent in just the last year).

If the only thing you can say to defend yourself today is Just be careful with email, you are already on the defense. Get ransomware on hold before it hits your inbox.

At PJ Networks, we deploy, manage, and optimize anti-ransomware email security for businesses—so you don’t find yourself calling us after an attack. Because recovering from ransomware? Much harder (and pricier) than preventing it.

Quick Take:

• No other method is more popular through which ransomware spreads than email.
• The malicious file attachments and spam links can be equally dangerous.
• Email security requires filtering + sandboxing — firewall rules can’t save you.
• We use and trust Fortinet advanced email protection to block incoming ransomware.

Ready to drive actual email security changes today? It begins with filtering, authentication and in-world phishing tests. Your inbox is a battleground—it’s time to act like it.

And now…for that fourth cup of coffee.