Local Governments Targeted for Ransomware – How to Prevent Falling Victim

Regardless of the country, local government is essential in most citizens’ lives. It provides many day-to-day services and handles various issues. Therefore, their effects can be far-reaching and deeply felt when security failures occur.

In early 2023, Oakland, California, fell victim to a ransomware attack. Although city officials have not disclosed how the attack occurred, experts suspect a phishing email is the most likely cause. As a result, city officials brought down their servers to contain the attack.

Governments have been the target to many ransomware attacks and breaches. As most local governments maintain a small IT staff, there is potential for shared passwords, reused credentials, and a lack of multi-factor authentication security, exposing vulnerabilities for a breach.

images from Hacker News