Authority_October_2020

38 October 2020 - The Authority A Strong Offense for Defending Against Ransomware by the Staff at 1MARK TM Ransomware is often compared to an illness like the flu. Everybody has been warned about it, there are many steps you can take to prevent it, but as we have recently seen, it can spread rapidly and have a significant impact on business and business continuity. Thanks to the efforts of PMAA, you are likely well aware that ransomware is a hot topic for local governments, including Authorities. For example, it has been well reported that in 2018 cyber attackers infected the IT sys- tems of the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority in Jacksonville, North Carolina, which crippled its core com- puting systems, despite its multiple layers of “front door” security. Last year, hackers infected the comput- ers at a small Colorado water utility, Fort Collins-Loveland Water District. The cyber hackers always demand a ransom to make the computers opera- tional again. In 2018, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert stating that foreign governments had targeted U.S. water systems. While you may think it can never happen to your organization, the chances are growing by the day that it can and more likely it will happen to you. Remember, ransomware, like the flu, evolves. So, while taking steps to prevent a ransomware attack, like the flu, is important, there’s another equally vital part of safeguarding your organization--recovering from one. Authorities, as well as all municipal government operations, are searching for an effective and affordable de- fense to being taken hostage by cyber hackers spreading their ransomware. Technology has evolved from the days of saving data to zip drives or tape backups with the hopes that the files will be accessible and you have a restore point that is only days old. There are new solutions that can take the fear out of malicious cyber and ransomware attacks and provide one- click failback, restoring operations to source servers automatically and allow for unlimited, non-disruptive disaster recovery drill option. Data backups that are mere minutes old are now a reality. A CHANGE IN TACTICS In the computer world, guarding the “front door” is the main tactic used for keeping the cybercriminals at bay. Spam filters, antivirus software, back- ups and multi-factor-authentication are some of the most common methods for improving cyber security. While guarding the front door is always a good idea, all the methods in use today have one thing in common - they all have limited success. Cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways to penetrate your organiza- tion’s defenses. And while you may not be able to always keep them out, you can have a recovery plan in place for when they do. Our perspective approaches cyber se- curity from a different perspective that can be summarized as: