Ransomware

A two-year study concluded that deep-water drilling rigs are not prepared in general to protect themselves against cyber attacks. Rigs need more than firewalls and antivirus software to be secure, the study found.

Criminals will keep using ransomware as long as its profitable, but outright banning all payments could be deeply painful for critical sectors and small businesses. The road ahead is full of policy hurdles.

Senior federal officials met with education, insurance, critical infrastructure and technology organizations to talk expanding the cybersecurity workforce, defending essential systems and designing more secure tech products.

On Aug. 7, a ransomware attack, perhaps brought about by phishing, led to the shutdown of multiple systems in Twin Falls County, Idaho. Between 2018 and 2020, governments have seen 246 cases of ransomware.

Preparing against ransomware means getting response plans and contracts in place early, drilling, making — and monitoring — critical backups and, of course, convincing leadership to fund it all, experts say.

Co-chairs Tom Kealey and Zach Tudor explain how the Idaho Cybersecurity Task Force will gather a holistic view of the state’s cybersecurity resources and needs to inform its recommendations to the governor in early 2022.

According to a statement released yesterday, officials in Joplin, Mo., believe the city lost its computer system in early July due to a ransomware attack. A ransom was paid to prevent sensitive data from being released.

Taking the SolarWinds hack as a lesson learned, the National Nuclear Security Administration is looking to strengthen its "front door" and "back door" to thwart any virtual threats.

Eskenazi Health, a hospital in Indianapolis, Ind., was forced to send its ambulances to another hospital after an attempted ransomware attack yesterday morning. Employee and patient data appear to be safe at the moment.

In 2020, ransomware criminals made 300 percent more money than they did in 2019. The first step to slowing down this trend is to stop making ransom payments, but organizations should improve their cyber defenses as well.

Some state legislators feel it should be illegal for organizations to pay ransomware criminals, as payments may encourage more attacks. However, a number of cybersecurity experts have spoken against such bans.

Criminal ransomware attacks launched from Russia have shaken the U.S. but are not particularly valuable to Putin, experts say. The right political pressure could reduce this kind of cyber crime.

A cyber attack on Emma Willard School last week resulted in the theft of employee social security numbers and financial information. The school is now providing free credit and identity theft-monitoring services.

Sunset Beach, N.C., faced a series of ransomware attacks over a six-week period. Fortunately, the local IT team recovered most of the town’s documents and has taken multiple steps to improve security.

Judson Independent School District has paid an undisclosed amount to regain access to its network and communications after a ransomware incident last month took them offline. Authorities are still investigating.

During an Illinois House committee hearing Thursday, expert Haywood Talcove urged the state to take action on cybersecurity. Talcove believes unemployment fraudsters have stolen $1 billion from Illinois.

Multiple sources have indicated that the Biden administration wants to apprehend ransomware criminals by tracing cryptocurrencies. Some members of Congress are reportedly unimpressed by the overall plan.

The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation is aggressively expanding its CyberStart game intiatives to entice undiscovered talent toward cybersecurity positions and address top-tier skill gaps.