Local Governments Targeted in Rising Numbers of Cyberattacks

ST. LOUIS - April 6, 2023 - PRLog -- ThrottleNet named the #1 Cybersecurity Firm in St. Louis by Small Business Monthly, says local governmental agencies have become the latest targets in cyberattacks and warns municipalities to be on high alert regarding a potential breach.

"It's been verified by several media outlets and cybersecurity experts that 18 local governments across the U.S. have been impacted by ransomware so far this year," said George Rosenthal, President of ThrottleNet. "The latest is The City of Oak Ridge Tennessee which according to ID Agents This Week in Breach, said the city realized a network disruption in late March with a large negative impact on city services."

Rosenthal said local governments are obvious targets for cyber thieves. "Most of these local entities have very small or no IT departments, yet thousands of their residents depend on them for seamless delivery of city services. In many cases, their networks have few if any safeguards in place. Should they suffer a breach it can disrupt day-to-day operations and draw the ire of local stakeholders."

He added, "The longer the downtime the more frustrated everyone becomes. Hackers understand this and realize municipalities are better off paying a ransom to regain control of their technology than facing the large costs and time needed to revamp their entire network infrastructure. There is also the negative publicity surrounding the incident."

Rosenthal emphasized proper due diligence and adherence to best cyber practices can prevent nearly all ransomware attacks. "Smaller agencies and businesses should have a plan in place that stops a ransomware attack before it starts. Proper team training is essential and so are several overlooked solutions like patching systems regularly to cover vulnerabilities and optimizing proper password and email protection with strong passwords on every account. We also recommend using MFA or Multifactor Authentication, adding a layer of protection cyber thieves can't penetrate."

"Governments need to be proactive to defend against cyber criminals.  Companies like ThrottleNet can help them develop a plan that eliminates nearly all chances of disruption while protecting their data and maintaining the privacy and safety of their residents."

ABOUT THROTTLENET INC

Ranked as the #1 IT Firm for seven years in a row, and #1 Cybersecurity Firm in St. Louis by Small Business Monthly, ThrottleNet, Inc. understands the importance of cyber due diligence for local governments and business owners and offers comprehensive services to help protect your organization from potential cyber threats. ThrottleNet pays special attention to ensure all client cybersecurity and IT service needs are a top company priority. ThrottleNet has received over 380 Google reviews from happy clients with an average score of 4.9 out of 5. Whether it's Cybersecurity, Managed Network Services (MNS), Virtual CIO, Managed backup, or more, partnering with ThrottleNet will provide the highest protection for your assets and help you achieve your business goals. https://throttlenet.com.