Struggling local businesses confront international cyber threats

In a recent hearing held in East Lansing, Michigan, the U.S. Secret Service highlighted the cybersecurity risks faced by small towns, county governments, and Main Street businesses across the nation. The hearing, aimed at alerting officials about resources available for mitigation and response against sophisticated attacks, served as an example of the cyberattacks organizations are experiencing nationwide.

One such example is the recovery of nearly $5 million by U.S. Secret Service agents from the Detroit field office following a business email compromise investigation. This underscores the financial impact cyberattacks can have on local organizations.

However, it's not just the financial cost that is a concern. Hackers target Michigan's servers more than 90 million times a day, according to data from the state's chief information officer. This high level of attempted intrusion demonstrates the urgency for improved cybersecurity measures.

Matt Hartman, deputy executive assistant director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), identified four basic security measures every organization should implement to protect sensitive data from ransomware and other cyberattacks: multifactor authentication, maintaining offline encrypted backups, creating an incident response plan, and reporting cybersecurity incidents to CISA (or the FBI).

Yet, many state and local organizations may not have the resources to effectively respond to cyberattacks. Unlike large organizations such as Colonial Pipeline or JBS USA, these organizations often lack the funding and personnel to staff their own security operations center.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in Michigan provides support to local governments and businesses primarily through specialized cybersecurity advisors. These advisors work on threat detection, incident response, and resilience-building against complex cyberattacks, often collaborating with local partners and industry experts in the region. However, specific individual advisors' names or identities are not publicly listed.

Corporate stakeholders are increasingly interested in understanding the risk calculus of their technology stacks, with a focus on determining if they are potential targets. Small businesses and local government agencies in the United States, including those in Michigan, are at a significant risk of ransomware and other malicious cyberattacks.

Iranga Kahangama, assistant secretary at the DHS Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans, was a key figure in the federal response to ransomware attacks against Colonial and JBS. His work serves as a reminder of the importance of collaboration between federal agencies and local organizations in addressing these threats.

In conclusion, the cybersecurity landscape presents a significant challenge for small businesses and local governments. However, with the right resources and implementation of basic security measures, these organizations can better protect themselves against the threat of cyberattacks.