Cyberattacks have increased exponentially since Covid-19 forced entire workforces into the home environment in 2020. Hackers love a good crisis and the disruption created by the global pandemic created a perfect storm of events. In addition to the increase in both the number and sophistication, attacks of all types were up. Ransomware attacks were up […]
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a surge in ransomware attacks – from the rise in attacks against individuals, governments, and businesses, to attacks that led to the forced shutdown of critical infrastructure and supply chains. An April 2021 report from the Ransomware Task Force, a group of more than 65 […]
Ransomware has become a dangerous situation in our country with our elementary, high schools, and colleges under attack. From coast to coast, the cases are mounting. In March, hackers demanded $40 million from the Broward County, Florida public school district. After the school district refused to pay, the hackers published nearly 26,000 files from the district’s servers, including […]
Ransomware has been a scourge for years. Recently, it has become a national security issue because of the exponential growth of attacks aimed at our critical infrastructure. Ransomware that holds hostage the critical data needed to run our public and private institutions is now affecting our everyday lives—the price and availability of gas (Colonial Pipeline), […]
As the year 2020 fades away, we have no doubt that many of the articles and discussions reviewing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will focus on the dramatic changes to the way we work, shop, and socialize. The most obvious change in our behavior is our complete dependence on technology for activities we once […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on cyber vulnerabilities within our country. As nationwide shutdowns were implemented to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees shifted to remote work and operations went fully digital. Businesses, organizations and governments have faced cybersecurity challenges as a result. Cyber threats have long been a challenge for many businesses […]
The United States is at war. Virtually unchecked for years now, our adversaries have been stealing our intellectual property and disrupting American commerce and our democratic way of life. This war is being waged primarily on our nation’s critical infrastructure, mainly the energy sector, telecommunication networks and financial systems. Eighty-seven percent of critical infrastructure in […]
Electricity is an essential element of every life powering homes, businesses and the national economy. In an increasingly digitized world, effectively managing cybersecurity has become critical to the reliability of the grid and the protection of data. While there are many forms of utility business models, public power systems often operate as part of a […]
As we predict the lasting impact that COVID-19 will have on our lives, we cannot ignore two major lessons learned. First, states, and governors, have extraordinary power and responsibility to protect the public from threats. Simply put, it is a mistake to neglect the important role state and local leaders play. Second, our lives will […]
As was predicted when the government moved wholesale towards remote telework in response to the COVID-19 crisis, malicious activities targeting federal systems and employees rose dramatically. While nation-state adversaries increased their hacking operations, a proliferation of unintended vulnerabilities – those caused by the extreme reliance on legacy technologies, poor processes, and analog workflows created enormous […]
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Combating Ransomware: A Comprehensive Framework for Action
/in Cybersecurity /by Philip ReinerRansomware attacks present an urgent national security threat. This evolving form of cybercrime, through which criminals remotely compromise computer systems and demand a ransom in return for restoring and/or not exposing data, is economically destructive and has dangerous real-world consequences. Thousands of businesses, hospitals, school districts, city governments, and other institutions around the world have […]