Jackson County prepares for ransomware attack

Ransomware attacks on local governments are becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more damaging.  Recent attacks on municipalities have made national headlines, and the costs to taxpayers are mounting.  To protect public data and avoid disruption of public services, Jackson County has taken steps to prepare for such attacks.

The County follows a "defense-in-depth" strategy featuring many layers of security to fend off cyber attacks. Our cyber defenses are continually updated and periodically tested.  These practices greatly reduce the chance that Jackson County will be a victim of cyber attack.  However, no defense is impenetrable and criminals are constantly adapting and improving their attack methods.  So, the County also keeps offline backup copies of our data so that we can recover in case a ransomware attack does make it past our defenses.

Jackson County partners with local, state and national organizations, sharing information and leveraging security resources that can help us prevent and respond to cyber attacks.  County Information Officer, Mark Decker, recently participated in a radio interview panel on the topic of ransomware to discuss the threat and how organizations protect themselves.

All individuals and organizations, public and private, are potential targets for online extortionists.  One of the most common infection vectors for ransomware is links to malicious websites that arrive via email. You can learn more about ransomware and steps you can take to protect yourself.