Ransomware Is an Intolerable Situation Affecting All Sectors, FireEye CEO Says -- Update
June 02 2021 - 12:11PM
Dow Jones News
By WSJ Staff
No sector or nation is untouched by ransomware attackers, Kevin
Mandia, chief executive of cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc., said
Wednesday.
"Pharmaceuticals, hospitals, healthcare, public companies,
organizations that don't have the talent and skills to defend
themselves -- they're getting sucker punched," Mr. Mandia said
during the WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Executive Forum.
He added that hackers target public companies because they are
more likely to pay a ransom rather than go public with the attack.
Ransomware has become an intolerable situation, he said.
A ransomware attack on meat processor JBS SA is the latest
incident showing how cyber hacks of major companies can ripple
across the world. The meatpacker took a big chunk of U.S.
beef-and-pork processing offline, sending buyers scrambling for
alternatives and raising pressure on meat supplies.
The White House on Tuesday said the attack was part of a
ransomware campaign by a criminal group that is likely based in
Russia.
A May 7 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline Co. led to a
six-day shutdown of the East Coast's largest conduit for fuel,
sparking scrutiny of pipeline security and pushing the Department
of Homeland Security to prepare to issue first-of-their-kind
cybersecurity regulations for the sector.
Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom to get code to unlock its
data and systems but the decryption tool wasn't fully
successful.
When industrial companies' technology systems are attacked, they
may pause operations to prevent hackers from reaching tools that
control physical systems, such as manufacturing machinery and
pipeline sensors. This so-called operational technology is often
customized for businesses, making it difficult to restore, and is
central to their bottom lines, cybersecurity experts say.
A hack of such systems could snarl tools used to coordinate
distribution or facilitate sales to customers, said Ron Brash,
director of cybersecurity insights at cybersecurity firm Verve
Industrial.
(MORE TO COME)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 02, 2021 13:06 ET (17:06 GMT)
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