A West Palm Beach news station WPTC.com, has reported that Police in Stuart Florida, had to let six suspected drug dealers go free, based on lack of evidence. Evidence that was stored on computers at the Stuart Police Department. It has been reported that hackers, using Ransomware, have locked files which would have been positive proof to enable prosecutors to put the suspected drug dealers behind bars.
Ransomware presents a clear and present danger to most companies, governments and non-profits. Here are some of the basic suggestions to help reduce the threat of ransomware:
- Patch Management of systems should always be frequent and tracked thoroughly.
- Misuse or misconfiguration of remote access techniques that allow outsiders to penetrate systems and networks undetected.
- Access Management issues. Users should be classified and given the least amount of privileges to allow them to effectively do their work. Most administrators are not providing a clear and effective means for granting and managing user rights.
- Misconfiguration and/or lack of monitoring Anti-Virus/Malware systems.
- Backup verification and validation. Making sure the backup are working correctly.
- Of course, Security Awareness is the cornerstone of prevention.
Just letting you know, Ascension will be holding Privacy & Security presentations starting in April, if you wish to attend or wish to contact us regarding this new development, please email us at paul@ascension-tg.com or call at 425-750-0760.
West Palm Beach Article: https://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/stuart/police-evidence-lost-in-stuart-hack-attack-six-suspected-drug-dealers-walk-free