Both the federal government and private organizations warn of a coming storm of escalating ransomware attacks that threaten companies in the U.S. and abroad.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) declared that the rise in ransomware attacks in 2019 was close to qualifying as a “large-scale cyber event.” In an August 2019 publication, the CISA stated that ransomware “has rapidly emerged as the most visible cybersecurity risk playing out across our nation’s networks.”
Meanwhile, “Forrester’s Guide to Paying Ransomware,” released in June 2019, reported that the rise in ransomware attacks increased 500% over the prior year and estimated that the attacks will cost businesses $11.5 billion in 2019 alone.
Enterprise leaders need to see such reports as a warning — and a call to action.
“More people should be alarmed,” said Candy Alexander, president of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA). “The malicious actors have found ransomware to be quite effective, so why wouldn’t it continue to escalate?”
Widespread threats
The ransomware attacks that hit the state of Louisiana this past summer illustrate the growing threat.
Louisiana Gov. John…
