In January 2023, an attacker tried to poison the water supply in the San Francisco Bay area.
In February 2023, an unknown hacker or group of hackers was able to gain access to the operations technology (OT) system of a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida. The attack attempted to poison the water supply by increasing the amount of sodium hydroxide.
Ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure is a grim reminder of the growing sophistication and persistence of cyber threats. For you, this trend underscores an urgent need to reassess and fortify cybersecurity strategies, particularly through third-party assessments.
Our current crisis is real.
Recent weeks have seen a worrying increase in ransomware attacks across various sectors, severely impacting critical services. Hospitals have had to divert ambulances and cancel surgeries; the North Texas Municipal Water District faced a suspected attack; and Fidelity National Financial experienced significant disruptions. Even with the U.S. government’s efforts, these attacks are not just continuing but intensifying.
You already know this stuff!
The consequences of these attacks are profound and far-reaching. In healthcare, for instance, critical medical procedures are being postponed, directly affecting patient care. Financial institutions face operational disruptions, impacting customers' financial transactions. These incidents not only cause immediate operational hindrances but also long-term trust and credibility issues for the affected organizations.
FINDING SOLUTIONS
The government is trying. They’ve created new cyber incident reporting laws and funding for cybersecurity initiatives, but progress is slow. Law enforcement faces challenges in collecting enough evidence for effective action, and new cybersecurity tools are often slowly adopted by the affected organizations.
So, what’s next?
You’ve heard me talk about third-party assessments before, so you shouldn’t be surprised I’m bringing them up again. But here’s the thing. In this scenario, third-party cybersecurity assessments become crucial. They offer an objective evaluation of an organization's cybersecurity posture, identifying vulnerabilities that internal assessments might miss. Third-party assessments bring fresh perspectives, advanced expertise, and awareness of the latest attack vectors, making them indispensable for a comprehensive security strategy.
CAN THIRD-PARTY ASSESSMENTS REALLY HELP?
Here are a few of the specific ways, they can help:
- Objective Insights: External experts offer unbiased views on the organization's security posture, free from internal influences or biases.
- Actionable Recommendations: These assessments result in practical recommendations to mitigate identified risks, tailored to the organization’s specific context.
- Compliance and Trust: Third-party assessments can help ensure compliance with industry regulations and build trust among stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to cybersecurity.
AWARENESS IS KEY
Third-party assessments help you communicate awareness—as your client’s trusted advisor—to lay out the facts in an unbiased way. This awareness is critical for securing management support and resources for necessary security improvements.
As technical workers, it is our responsibility to stay ahead of cyber threats and protect our organizations and clients. Third-party cybersecurity assessments are a critical tool in this endeavor, providing the insights and recommendations needed to effectively combat the rising wave of ransomware attacks. The crisis is indeed real, so let's prioritize these assessments and work towards a more secure digital future.
