Businesses Told To Prepare For Potential Ransomware Attacks After Russian Sanctions Announced
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A word of warning surrounding cyberattacks is being issued from top U.S. security leaders following President Biden's announcement of sanctions on Russia.
Experts say this is something we really need to pay attention to because it could impact you at home or even where you work or do your business.
Not long after President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Russia. the FBI asked state and local officials and business executives to consider how ransomware attacks could disrupt critical services. This comes as the crisis between the Kremlin and Ukraine continues.
Right now, US officials say there are "no specific, credible" threats to the U.S. that are tied to tensions with Russia over Ukraine. but they say it's important to remain vigilant.
For years, the U.S. has been concerned about Russian cybercriminals.
Experts say we should be concerned as we experienced it last year. You may remember when a ransomware attack forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down for days.
This created long lines at gas stations in multiple states.
So what can we do to remain protected from cyber criminals? Here are some tips:
- Make sure you have antivirus software with scheduled checks to keep everything up to date.
- Block access to ransomware sites
- Allow only authorized apps
Also, beware of unknown sources, and if you don't know who a link is form or if it appears to be strange, don't open it.