News Insights: New Orleans hit by ransomware, city employees told to turn off computers | ZDNet

New Orleans hit by ransomware, city employees told to turn off computers | ZDNet

After Atlanta and Baltimore, another major US city grapples with a ransomware attack.

New Orleans hit by ransomware, city employees told to turn off computers | ZDNet

News Insights:

Colin Bastable, CEO of security awareness training company Lucy Security:

“The problem with ransomware attacks is that they are not always immediately apparent. The attackers may need to navigate from their initial point of entry – usually via phishing email – to the systems and data that they need to encrypt. The attack can be undetected for a relatively long time before being triggered. This attack may have been initiated in parallel with the recent Louisiana attack.

Adam Laub, CMO at STEALTHbits Technologies:

“Modern ransomware variants are incredibly sophisticated and highly difficult to defend against. Gone are the spray and pray days of ransomware. Now it’s about complete compromise, where the ransom aspect is more so a demonstration of just how deep the compromise is. The focus on cities and local government entities feels predatorial though. These types of organizations often provide important services to large numbers of people, yet commonly lack the capabilities needed to defend themselves due to lack of funding, talent, and tools. Perhaps an unintended consequence of focus on these types of organizations will not just be a heightened level of awareness amongst the general public, but the desire for the general public to push for the resources their local governments need to match up with these highly motivated adversaries.”