States working to protect against ransomware would be wise to take a two-prong approach that homes in on both practical cybersecurity safeguards — like patching and backups — and on relationships, particularly with employees and local governments, said speakers at a Jan. 20 discussion hosted by FedInsider.
TACKLING TECH
No matter what defenses they adopt, states cannot guarantee perfect safety and so must be ready for if and when an attacker gets through. That means keeping backups secured offline, where they cannot be contaminated should ransomware infect the state network, said Michigan Deputy Chief Security Officer Jayson Cavendish during the event.There’s also a risk that states won’t detect malware until after they’ve created a backup copy of their systems — essentially preserving the infection. So states should make sure to keep several versions of backups, to guarantee they have one predating the incident, Cavendish said.
Of course, preventative measures are still essential, and states need to know what kind of attacks to expect. Ransomware perpetrators often find purchase in victims’…
