In the wake of destruction from an ever-growing threat of cybercriminals, many major municipal branches in Baltimore and Atlanta fell victim to encrypted systems and were extorted for millions. Soon after, the major targets became local school districts and colleges, but it would appear the targets have changed once again. This time to an industry that will surprise many, who think this could NEVER happen to them.
Museums? That’s right! Last Tuesday, it was reported that the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco was hit with a ransomware attack back in May. Initially, when I heard this, I was as surprised as you were. Why would a Museum be hit with Ransomware? Why would someone search out cultural institutions to attack? The answer lies closer than we think. Dealing in lower monetary value, museum donors’ personal information can be easily stolen, alongside the typical digital footprint of email, phone number, first name, last name, etc.
It sounds like something out of an action movie: the hacking of a museum in San Francisco came to the surface when the Asian Art Museum refused to pay the demanded ransom, sticking with the city’s official “no-negotiation policy.” Although everyone at the Asian Art Museum has been tight-lipped about the tactics used against them, we do know the data was recovered by utilizing a trusted backup system. Always making sure technology partners are checking in and running tests periodically, making sure systems built for fail-over are fully operational. In this case, the museum was confident in not paying the ransom, knowing they can easily restore data, giving everyone at the Asian Art Museum peace of mind.
Don’t be taken by surprise. Protect your business with these five tips to better your data protection:
- End-Point Protection – To protect employees and businesses’ from cyberattacks and encryption, it’s critical to your success to employ up-to-date End-Point Protection (EPP) and Malware Alerting on high-value targets like servers or domain controllers.
- Gone Phishing – The human element is what gets most people, and it’s because these phishing examples have been developed to simulate a popular brand or coworker email. Without successfully phishing someone to gain access, the doors on your network can remain closed. Be warry, as social networks have been hit hard with email spoofing.
- See Something, Say Something – One of the most important things to teach employees within your network is if they see a ransomware pop up, you should immediately disconnect this machine from the network. This will prevent the infected system from communicating with other nods on your network, damaging more of your data, and encrypting more technology.
- Group Policy Controls – Generate access controls or Group Policy. In the case someone does get into one of the computers, they won’t be able to remote into someone else’s PC or system, making it critical to prevent the spread and damage of further entities.
- Prioritize your Vulnerability – How much of a threat can your business take on? With information everywhere on the network, it grows impossible to secure everything, making it imperative to create a layered approach – to further secure financials and company email that could contain personal information.
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, ransomware poses a serious risk to every business. Taking a proactive approach is the key to reducing your risk. You can learn more about disaster recovery planning and reliable backup solutions by consulting a technology partner who understands your organization’s unique needs. Contact a Clare Computer Solutions Consultant today to determine your risk.
