3 Lessons Learned from the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack

Last week’s ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline caused havoc along the East Coast, grinding the operation of one of the largest fuel pipelines in the United States to a halt. A national emergency launched panic buying across the Southeast, leading to shortages and, well – you know the rest. NBC reports that the company paid a $5M ransom to the attackers before restoring their operations. So, what lessons can we learn?

3 Lessons Learned from the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack:

1. Ransomware attacks aren’t going away – Ransomware attacks have been on the rise for years, but with a successful public payment of roughly $5M and more than a week of media attention, it’s a safe bet that more criminals will be on the hunt for their next victim.
2. Businesses are vulnerable at any size – From small businesses to large corporations, any company could be the victim of a ransomware attack if proactive cybersecurity measures aren’t in place.
3. Always have a BC/DR plan – Building a business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) plan before hackers strike is the key to launching a quick recovery with minimal data loss.

Would you be ready for a ransomware attack?

A recent report from Datto revealed that 85% of MSPs say that ransomware is the most common malware threat to small- to medium-sized businesses with phishing emails as the #1 route for malware to make its way onto your machine. The first line of defense against phishing attacks is understanding the strategy and knowing the telltale signs that the email in your inbox may be from a bad actor trying to tap into your data. Get our infographic, How to Detect a Phishing Email to learn 5 dead giveaways of a phishing email.