Ransomware protection for state, local governments (and how to pay for it)

If you’re responsible for cybersecurity for a state or local government entity, it probably comes as no surprise to you that ransomware attacks against organizations like yours are rapidly increasing in frequency, severity, and effectiveness.

Dallas, Texas. Oakland, California. Lowell, Massachusetts. Baltimore, Maryland. These cities and many more have experienced these attacks — and are still dealing with the fallout: lost data, liability and compliance issues, and disruption of critical services and revenue collection.

Recent data shows that public-sector organizations are more likely to be hit by ransomware than other sectors; and that when it happens, they are more likely to suffer data loss — and less likely to recover lost data from backups.

Why do cyber crooks attack government?

There are several factors that make state and local governments attractive targets for ransomware gangs.

• Lack of funding and personnel: Even as they have begun to dedicate more resources and budget to cybersecurity, the reality is that, compared to private industry, these government agencies still lack the funding and personnel necessary to implement and maintain adequate defenses against today’s highly advanced ransomware attacks.
• Large attack surface: Because of the many online applications allowing citizens to interact with various agencies and functions of local governments — renewing vehicle registration, applying for building permits, registering to vote, paying utility bills, etc. — the attack surface for these agencies is very large compared to most private entities. There are simply many more points of potential vulnerability.
• Incentive to pay: Some government services are highly critical to the lives of citizens — and in some cases they are mandated, meaning that failure to provide them can result in civil liability and other sanctions. Because of this, cybercriminals believe that targeted government agencies have an extra incentive to pay ransoms in the hope of resolving disruptions quickly.

Get the latest ransomware insights and solutions

An upcoming Barracuda webinar is designed specifically to address the ransomware challenges facing state and local government agencies. Attend the webinar to find out:

• Exactly how the latest ransomware attacks work, in a detailed analysis of several recent attacks against public-sector agencies like yours. You’ll see how the attacks unfolded, what the attackers were after, and what the consequences were for the attacks’ targets.
• What it takes to implement a highly effective defensive strategy against modern, evasive ransomware that exploits email, applications, and other vectors to penetrate your security infrastructure.
• How agencies like yours are already leveraging federal government programs that can help defray some or even all of the costs related to upgrading your ransomware protection technology.

Your electorate counts on a local or state government that is always able to provide consistent, reliable services. Attend this webinar to get the information you need to minimize your vulnerability to ransomware attacks that can shake citizen confidence by disrupting your agency’s ability to deliver on its promises and fulfill its obligations.