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08Jul

Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack – Preventing Attacks

 

The Colonial Pipeline is a the largest pipeline system in the United States, supplying nearly half of the Eastern U.S. with fuel.

On April 29th, a group of hackers known as DarkSide, accessed the Colonial Pipeline network using a single compromised password and downloaded critical business information.

Then on May 7th, employees received a ransom note demanding payment in the form of cryptocurrency and caused the pipeline to be shut down for the first time in 57 years.

Because of this shutdown, and the effects it had on the country, Colonial Pipeline was forced to pay the $4.4 million ransom.

This attack shows us the how important it is to have and follow proper IT security protocols.

There is a growing enemy that plans these attacks and is getting stronger every day; organized cyber criminals.

No one is safe from these hackers, anyone could become a victim.

Ransomware is a growing crime that has become more significant since the start of the pandemic and more teams working from home.

However, there are several ways to prevent ransomware attacks:

  • Encrypt your email to prevent unwanted visibility into your sensitive data.
  • Back up your data regularly and keep these backups outside of your network.
  • Keep your networks up to date.
  • Educate your team on which emails to click on and which emails to question.
  • Implement an endpoint security platform

By taking these steps, you are going in the right direction to fight against ransomware. Databranch is here to help you prevent ransomware attacks from happening in your environment.

We have the tools to help you and your organization! To learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 or email [email protected]!

Request your Free Baseline Security Assessment here:

 

*Courtesy of MailProtector*

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