A ransomware attack by a Russian cybercriminal group forced the largest petroleum pipeline in the United States to shut down. The worst attack ever on U.S. critical infrastructure, it is only the most recent in a growing wave of attacks, one for which the U.S., like other governments, is not prepared.
Doing so will require a whole of society effort, one in which governments, businesses and citizens all recognize the importance of cybersecurity and then act accordingly. We have a long way to go.
Ransomware involves the insertion of malicious software into a computer network that locks it up or encrypts the data; either way, computers are effectively shut down — literally. After an attack a few years ago, one company had to throw away virtually every device — computers, printers, servers, routers, phones — connected to its network.