The county government had already deployed an Endpoint Detection and Response tool (EDR), and the attack was largely prevented and was fully contained. But how many other local government entities are unable to react and prevent attacks, and may be forced to pay off the attackers? The news report mentions at least 72 reported in the US for 2023, and there is still a month left in the year!
It is understandable that local government entities may not all feature fully-fledged cybersecurity departments or be as prepared as the governments of large counties, such as the one for Dallas County. Their resources are often strictly limited for what they are expected to deliver to the constituents. But there are cost-effective solutions to prevent being an easy-picking for hackers and ransomware attackers. Setting up a cybersecurity council and engaging with reliable cybersecurity consulting experts is one of them. This cybersecurity council should serve all branches and departments of the government entity to establish standard security policies and achieve the most efficiencies in this endeavor.
The news report can be found here:
As Dallas County Responds to Ransomware Attack, an Expert Explains How to Prevent Them
