NORFOLK, Va. — Another major ransomware attack happened over the Independence Day weekend: this time, hackers targeting IT companies and a software vendor called Kaseya.
“They’re getting more and more sophisticated,” said Luke Downing, President of Norfolk IT firm Mode5. “That’s become a real concern.”
Downing tells 13News Now that while some of the company’s clients use Kaseya, they were able to avoid serious damage from the hack. Still, this most recent attack throws up another caution flag about protecting yourself in the digital age.
“Our job as an outsourced IT practice is to constantly stay on our clients to make sure they’re meeting best practices for security,” said Downing.
A similar attack on IT companies back in 2019 prepared Mode5 for a situation like this, but Downing says too many companies lack even basic security measures. Even then, the Kaseya attack shows companies who specialize in security are still vulnerable.
Only around 60 of them were infiltrated by cyber gang REvil on Friday, but by targeting Kaseya, they had access to more than 1,000 of their clients.
“Even when companies think they’re doing everything right, there’s still a risk,” said Downing.
Downing’s message in the wake of this most recent attack is simple: don’t make it easy for cybercriminals. If you don’t have protections in place, he suggests connecting with a company, like Mode5, to have IT security outsourced.