Take Ransomware Risk Seriously
We have all heard about and felt the effects of ransomware cyberattacks more recently than ever before. Although small and medium businesses, hospitals, and banks get attacked daily, the most recent and largest attacks have caught the attention of the White House and the Biden Administration. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has focused on a Russian-based group called REvil (pronounced as R’evil) for the most recent cyberattack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. The cyberattack shut down JBS operations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
With back-to-back ransomware attacks on the Colonial Pipeline and JBS, the White House is urging all companies, no matter size or location, to take ransomware crime more seriously. The National Security Council’s top cyber official, Anne Neuberger, wrote a letter to corporate executives and business leaders about the spike in ransomware attacks showing a shift from stealing data to disrupting critical services.
Neuberger stressed that organizations around the world should “view ransomware as a threat to their core business operations rather than a simple risk of data theft…”. She encourages all businesses to run risk assessments for cybercriminal exposure.
The FBI has confirmed that REvil was responsible for the ransomware attack on JBS. REvil, also known as Sodin and Sodinokibi, is a highly ambitious and active cybercriminal group that was first recognized in April 2019. This group has become known for attempting to extort large payments from corporate victims by executing Ransomware-as-a-service (RAAS).
Promoted as the best choice for attacking business networks on underground cybercrime forums, this group steals data from computers and networks before they are encrypted. If ransom demands are not met, REvil threatens to auction off the victims’ stolen data on its website called “Happy Blog.”
The FBI stated in a press release that they will continue their efforts to hold these cybercriminals accountable for the attack and they are working with private cybersecurity partners to bring REvil to justice. “Our private sector partnerships are essential to responding quickly when a cyber intrusion occurs and providing support to victims affected by our cyber adversaries,” as continued in the release. “A cyberattack on one is an attack on us all.”
The White House highly recommends that all organizations should follow the proposal laid out in the Executive Order on “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” released in May 2021.
How Can Your Company Prevent Cyberattacks?
As cybercriminals increase their efforts it is imperative that every organization, large and small, “beef-up” their cybersecurity practices. It’s important for you to constantly backup your data and keep at least one back up off-site. Make sure everyone on your staff uses long unique passwords that are difficult to crack. Educate and inform staff about risks and methods used by cybercriminals. But most importantly, work with your managed IT partners to protect your data with the latest patches, run risk assessments, and implement cybersecurity solutions that will work for your organization.
Realized Solutions works across the broad spectrum of security solutions to provide the layered, aggressive support that your business needs to protect sensitive digital and physical assets. Our talented and proactive staff are here to help. Contact our Southington, CT office at (860) 406-5975, or send an email to [email protected] to schedule your complimentary initial consultation.
