Police Federation Breach

It has been reported that the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has confirmed that it has been dealing with a ransomware attack on its computer systems. The PFEW was able to respond quickly to an alert from its cyber-security n Saturday 9th March, with cyber experts rapidly reacting to isolate the malware to stop it from spreading to PFEW branches. 

https://twitter.com/breakingnewshe1/status/1108761348807237632

Expert Comments Below:  

Anjola Adeniyi, Technical Leader at Securonix: 

“The attack on the Police Federation shows that anyone can become a victim of a ransomware attack. Based on available information, thePolice Federation has isolated the malware, which is a good step in preventing it spreading deeper into the network. To prevent these types of attacks, organisations should teach practise good cyber hygiene, and enable their organisation to avert social engineering attacks.” 

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Tim Erlin, VP of Product Management & Strategy at Tripwire:

“Every organization should have a plan in place for a successful ransomware attack. While prevention is preferred, the reality is that no security control is perfect. The key to responding to a ransomware attack is to detect quickly, limit the spread and restore systems back to a trusted state. Functional backups are key to recovery, but so is a clear understanding of how systems are configured. Finally, restoring from backups is only useful if you can close the attack vector that allowed the ransomware to gain a foothold in the first place.” 

Christian Nagele, Director at Datto:  

“Cyberattacks such as these are extremely unpredictable and ransomware remains a top security risk for businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, it is very easy to perform certain types of attacks that lead to ransomware infections. The main risks of such security breaches are loss of confidential data – potentially client data or personal data, loss of productivity, loss of revenue, loss of reputation and now, following the implementation of GDPR, hefty fines on top of that. We know that the total cost of business downtime alone is usually 10 times greater than the ransom requested. So every business, no matter its size, needs to have a strategy in place to prepare for, deal with, and eliminate material risks that could lead to security breaches. 

It is no longer sufficient to rely on basic prevention measures like firewalls, for example, to protect the business network. Alongside preventative measures such as regularly updating their antivirus solution, patching software and training employees to recognise security risks, companies should also implement a dedicated business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solution. BCDR is the single most effective protection against security risks as it helps businesses minimise downtime caused by attacks, including everything from ransomware, crypto jacking, and spyware to trojan horses, worms, and rootkits.”