What the DOJ's involvement in cyberattacks means for the future of ransomware
As businesses transitioned to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ransomware attacks became a key issue that business leaders were forced to increasingly prioritize. With ransomware attacks ramping up in frequency in the remote environment – most notably, the recent breaches of the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods – cybersecurity has become even more of a national security concern, forcing government action from the Department of Justice (DOJ). While the DOJ did not previously play a prominent role in responding to, or assisting with, ransomware attacks of private entities, now that they are threatening critical U.S. infrastructure systems and adversely impacting the economy, the government has been forced to take action.
As the U.S. Government takes a more prominent role in helping private entities prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, and the government is more highly prioritizing cybersecurity measures, business leaders need to also make cybersecurity a top issue within their own organizations and understand how ransomware is going to evolve moving forward. At a fundamental level, they must have an understanding of what’s at stake if business operations are breached. As businesses navigate this new frontier, there are a number of key issues that they should consider, both for implementing their own cybersecurity protections, as well as adjusting expectations for government involvement in cyberattacks moving forward.