{"id":42557,"date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/en_us\/research\/21\/f\/how-to-act-on-the-executive-order-to-tackle-ransomware.html"},"modified":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","slug":"the-u-s-eo-on-ransomware-what-does-it-mean-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/the-u-s-eo-on-ransomware-what-does-it-mean-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The U.S. EO on Ransomware: What Does it Mean? \u2013 Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Governments don\u2019t hold all the answers, but they can do a lot to make the digital world a safer place to do business. Now ransomware attacks are starting to impact critical infrastructure and supply chains, the White House is pushing companies to action<\/a>. This is a good start but what are the implications of its latest open letter to US businesses, urging them to do more to stem the tide of infections?<\/p>\n

Why now?<\/span><\/p>\n

Although multi-nationals and SMBs alike have been targeted with ever greater frequency and success over the past few years, the Colonial Pipeline attack<\/a> appears to have been a wake-up call for the government. It was followed just days later by a major ransomware-related outage<\/a> at the world\u2019s largest meat processor, impacting food supplies in North America and beyond.<\/p>\n

Now Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber, Anne Neuberger, wants US businesses to step up on cyber-security. \u201cAll organizations must recognize that no company is safe from being targeted by ransomware, regardless of size or location,” she wrote. “We urge you to take ransomware crime seriously and ensure your corporate cyber defense match the threat.”<\/p>\n

All companies, regardless of size or sector, should certainly take note. Ransomware attacks have become the number one existential threat to their operations. Supply chains, including just-in-time manufacturing and distribution, have already been weakened due to the pandemic. Now they\u2019re exposed to the threat of serious disruption through ransomware. It\u2019s perhaps no surprise that the White House is gearing up<\/a> to treat these attacks with the same gravity as terrorism.<\/p>\n

What does best practice look like?<\/span><\/p>\n

As the White House suggests, convening leadership teams to address these threats is a must. These teams should start by conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their mission critical operations; their cybersecurity teams that protect them, and use these assessments to build comprehensive ransomware play books and starting testing them immediately. In parallel, organizations should be applying best practices to mitigate ransomware attacks that include:<\/p>\n