Ransomware

The editorial board of The Republican notes the rising cost of cybersecurity attacks on public agencies, the fast-growing job market for cyber professionals, and a wealth of certification and degree programs.

A cyber attack has temporarily shut down the computer system and website of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Officials don't know how long it will take to get the network working again.

Cybercriminals, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated, could take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes to wreak havoc on critical infrastructure, experts say.

Corry Area School District in Pennsylvania will take months to investigate a ransomware incident last month that may have exposed private information from students and staff at the school before 2011.

A new Cyber Training and Exercise Range at Texas A&M University, part of its Cyber Readiness Center, allows other government organizations to train their employees with cyber attack simulations and hands-on exercises.

It’s often said that people are the problem in IT security, but ensuring staff are engaged with cyber protocol, having a strong plan in place, and coordinating efforts across state and local agencies can stop attacks.

Microsoft suspects that Nobelium, the group of state-sponsored Russian cyber criminals responsible for the SolarWinds fiasco, is taking aim at suppliers and resellers of tech products, including cloud-based solutions.

Educators are concerned about killware, the latest type of cyber attack, which can cause deaths by disabling life-and-death technological systems such as hospital networks or public utilities like water and power.

Janesville School District in Wisconsin said no data was accessed or destroyed, but students, staff and families are without programs such as Infinite Campus, Classlink, web-based textbooks and other resources.

The U.S. Treasury Department has estimated the first six months of 2021 saw a total of $590 million connected to ransomware. In 2020, the number for the entire year was only $410 million.

The idea behind killware, a new type of cyber attack, is to disable or manipulate the electronic or computer equipment that humans depend on, resulting in potential harm or death to individuals.

Following a ransomware attack March 12 that shut down systems and forced the cancellation of classes, Buffalo Public Schools is spending nearly $10 million on network security, fraud monitoring and other services.

New legislation will direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct a review of vulnerabilities in schools nationwide and give them information and resources to prevent cyber attacks.

By almost any measure, the breadth, depth and impact of data breaches have dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a roundup of the numbers.

Public- and private-sector speakers during the Massachusetts Municipal Cybersecurity Summit highlighted local agencies’ particular vulnerability to ransomware as well as key strategies and resources to help.

An audit of IT security in K-12 schools by the Kansas Legislature revealed most respondents weren't following recommended best practices, and half of them reported funding as a barrier to doing so.

Officials in Pottawatomie County, Kan., negotiated a much-reduced ransom with the criminals behind a cyber attack that took the county's computer systems offline for close to two weeks.

The new Center for Internet Security (CIS) research measures its cybersecurity recommendations’ effectiveness at thwarting the common techniques used in attacks to guide organizations on maximizing cyber investments.