Federal Agencies Warn of Ransomware Attacks During Holiday Season

On November 22, 2021, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (collectively, the Agencies) issued a reminder to critical infrastructure organizations that they should “stay vigilant” against the increased risk of cyber-attacks during the holiday season.

Although the Agencies have not identified any specific threats, the article notes that statistically, threat actors are much more likely to strike during these holiday seasons. As CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a report, "[w]e know that threat actors don't take holidays[.]"

The Agencies recommend that executives, leaders, and workers examine their current cybersecurity posture and implement the following best practices and mitigations to manage the risk posed to their organization by cyber threats: 

• Designate IT security employees for weekends and holidays to be available to surge during these times if an incident or ransomware attack were to occur.

• Implement multi-factor authentication for remote access and administrative accounts.

• Mandate secure passwords and ensure that passwords are unique to each account.

• If you use remote desktop protocol (RDP) or any other potentially risky service, ensure it is secure and monitored.

• Remind employees not to click on suspicious links, and conduct exercises to raise awareness.

Additionally, the Agencies recommend utilizing their additional resources to maintain “vigilance against the multiple techniques cybercriminals use to gain access to networks,” such as phishing attacks, fraudulent sites, and unencrypted financial transactions.  

For questions or concerns about best protecting your organization this holiday season, contact Kennedy Sutherland.