{"id":68552,"date":"2024-12-16T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/statescoop.com\/?post_type=video&#038;p=68552"},"modified":"2024-12-16T10:14:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T15:14:42","slug":"how-state-and-local-agencies-can-manage-evolving-ransomware-tactics","status":"publish","type":"video","link":"https:\/\/statescoop.com\/video\/how-state-and-local-agencies-can-manage-evolving-ransomware-tactics\/","title":{"rendered":"How state and local agencies can manage evolving ransomware tactics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed wp-embed-aspect-16-9\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rob Lalumondier, Sophos | How state and local agencies can manage evolving ransomware tactics\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/50BaYVSslTY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cybersecurity challenges and the threat of ransomware are evolving in new ways for state and local governments as adversaries adopt more sophisticated tactics. In a new video interview for StateScoop, Rob Lalumondier, vice president for enterprise and public sector at Sophos, highlights what agencies may be overlooking about these new tactics and shares defense strategies agencies should consider heading into the new year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGovernment entities \u2014 state, local, and even public education institutions \u2014 have vast attack surfaces and sensitive data, making them constant targets for cybercriminals, nation-state actors and hacktivists,\u201d says Lalumondier. He emphasized that while rapid digital transformation across government services improves efficiency, it also expands vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lalumondier noted that attackers increasingly exploit non-technical weaknesses, such as stolen credentials and unpatched vulnerabilities. \u201cThese tactics make attackers resemble legitimate users in your network, evading detection tools,\u201d he says. One example causing new concerns is the use of the <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/troubleshoot\/windows-server\/remote\/understanding-remote-desktop-protocol\">Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)<\/a>, with over 90% of ransomware attacks leveraging it, according to Sophos research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lalumondier, recognizing the budget and staff constraints most agencies face, urged state and local agencies to concentrate on implementing least-privilege principles. \u201cBlocking RDP access for unnecessary users and ensuring robust authentication can significantly mitigate risks,\u201d he says. He also recommended updating firewall configurations and adopting multi-factor authentication, among other <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sophos.com\/en-us\/2023\/05\/04\/cybersecurity-guide-securing-government-agencies\/\">Sophos security guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also suggested agencies use advanced tools like Sophos\u2019s CryptoGuard to detect and block ransomware attacks. \u201cCryptoGuard doesn\u2019t just monitor for malicious files \u2014 it analyzes data files for signs of encryption and can roll back files to their unencrypted state,\u201d says Lalumondier. This proactive approach protects against both local and remote ransomware out of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lalumondier stressed the importance of action-oriented risk management for state and local leaders. \u201cIdentifying vulnerabilities is only the first step,\u201d he says. \u201cWithout a concrete plan to address them, organizations remain at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sophos.com\/en-us\/solutions\/industries\/government\"><em>Learn how Sophos<\/em><\/a><em> can help government agencies identify and stop cyber threats.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This video panel discussion was produced by Scoop News Group for <\/em><em>StateScoop<\/em> <em>and underwritten by Sophos.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sophos VP Rob Lalumondier discusses the latest cybersecurity challenges facing state and local governments and how advanced techniques and tools can protect sensitive data and improve defenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":68553,"template":"","meta":{"disable_grayscale_images":true,"grayscale_contrast":0,"sponsored_content":true,"display_author_bio":true,"story_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4835,23780],"tags":[19,383,16536,23223,23236,25322,25323,25324,25325],"people":[],"special-report":[],"authors":[23938],"class_list":["post-68552","video","type-video","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sponsored-content","category-insights","tag-ransomware","tag-sponsored-content","tag-cybersecurity","tag-executive-video-spotlight","tag-sophos","tag-sophos-2024","tag-rob-lalumondier","tag-cryptoguard","tag-rdp","author-scoop-news-group"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.5 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How state and local agencies can manage evolving ransomware tactics | StateScoop<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sophos VP 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