Despite increased awareness and boardroom attention, ransomware attacks continue to dominate headlines. In this session, we will journey through a ransomware attack lifecycle via demos and screenshots. We'll also uncover common pitfalls and practical defense mechanisms to significantly reduce the risk of business disruption from a full-scale ransomware attack. Delivered by an incident response lead involved in some of 2024's biggest ransomware attacks, this session aims to provide a comprehensive, practical, and up-to-date guide to understanding, preventing, and responding to ransomware attacks, directly from someone with recent, high-stakes experience.