In the aftermath of the Colonial Pipeline attack, global IT association and learning community ISACA polled more than 1,200 members in the United States and found that 84 percent of respondents believe ransomware attacks will become more prevalent in the second half of 2021. According to the report, the severe disruptions caused by these attacks has been noted by organisations, along with the requirement to bolster defences against cyberattacks. In fact, over two-thirds are set to take action to prevent them becoming another ransomware victim following the incident.
And though Colonial reportedly authorised a ransom payment of US $4.4 million, in the ISACA survey, four out of five respondents said they do not think their organisation would pay the ransom. And only 22 percent said a critical infrastructure organisation should pay the ransom if attacked.
“In a vacuum, the guidance not to pay makes total sense. We don’t want to negotiate with criminals,” said Dustin Brewer, senior director of emerging technology and innovation at ISACA. “But when you need to get your business back online, a cost/benefit analysis is going to come into play, and a company is going to do what it needs to do to have continuity. Good cyber-hygiene has to be a focus to avoid getting to this point.”
