/!\YOUR COMPANY NETWORK HAS BEEN PENETRATED /!\
All your important files have been encrypted!
Medusa’s message to Minneapolis Public Schools on March 7th, 2023 began with that chilling warning. The ransomware gang proceeded to explain it had seized over 300,000 of the school district’s files and would restore them in exchange for $1 million.
On the advice of the FBI, Minneapolis Public Schools did not submit to Medusa’s demand. The gang retorted by leaking all the information it had stolen to the general public. Medical records. Discrimination complaints. Reports containing intimate details of children’s private lives. In total, the breach affected more than 100,000 people.
Ransomware actors are estimated to have extorted $900 million in 2023 alone. They will continue targeting more school districts, as well as any other organizations and businesses that possess valuable information. Fortunately, their attempts to raid Eden Prairie Schools will be met by the fiercest cybersecurity in the industry. Our town’s own Arctic Wolf stands guard.
“As of 10 years ago, cybercrime outpaced the international drug trade in terms of pure revenue,” said Dan Larson, CMO of Arctic Wolf. “And thanks to modern technology, it’s no longer impractical for cybercriminals to target even the smallest mom-and-pop coffee shops. Connecting your business to the internet without protection isn’t like leaving your door unlocked. It’s the equivalent of leaving it wide open.
“Ransomware is currently the greatest threat to cybersecurity. Once the malicious software has secretly installed itself, it begins quickly encrypting and locking files, rendering the end user totally unable to do business for several weeks. Ransomware operators usually demand millions of dollars for the key that will restore their victim’s data – and once they are paid, there is no guarantee they will provide it.
“Ransomware is just one example of increasing cybercrime. We’re also seeing a rise in business email compromise, where cybercriminals pose as employees so they can trick others into wiring them money and sharing sensitive information. Like ransomware, this type of fishing attack cannot be thwarted through conventional means. If a firewall and antivirus software constitute your entire approach to cybersecurity, then you truly are bringing a knife to a gunfight.
“Arctic Wolf was founded by multiple cybersecurity industry veterans in 2012. We understood which tools are most effective at repelling ransomware and other attacks. We also understood that those tools – like any other tools – cannot be effective in amateur hands. That’s partly because many end users adopt a ‘set it and forget it’ attitude toward cybersecurity. They pay for a product, turn it on, and assume everything will be good from there on out. What they don’t realize is that cybersecurity requires constant vigilance. And if they do, they probably don’t have the resources they would need to exercise it.
“Arctic Wolf solves that problem with our Concierge Security Team, which monitors our clients’ networks and instantly responds to threats 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whenever one of our clients believes they have a virus or any other need for our assistance, they’re immediately in touch with an advisor who already knows the ins and outs of their organization. To this day, our Concierge model remains unique to our industry.
“Effective cybersecurity isn’t just reacting to threats. It’s also proactive, which is why we continually assess each client’s security posture and advise how they can strengthen it. That may include implementing various supplemental security products, setting up two-factor authentication, and providing cybersecurity awareness training for their team members. For example, once employees know to treat certain emails with an appropriate amount of skepticism, about 90% of cyber attacks will make it no further than their inboxes.
“We make our training more effective by making it more accessible. Rather than force employees to attend grueling 90-minute seminars, we regularly share bite-size clips that gradually transform them into cybersecurity experts.
“We’re proud to call Eden Prairie Schools one of our clients, and we consider it a special point of pride to safeguard the Minnesota Vikings as well. Those are just two of more than 4,600 organizations across the globe that are currently protected by Arctic Wolf. At this rate, Eden Prairie might just become one of the cybersecurity capitals of the world.”
The Arctic Wolf Platform currently processes over 4 trillion security events each week. If you would like to confidently do business in an increasingly perilous digital world, then the Arctic Wolf Platform is ready to process your security events as well. Learn more today at arcticwolf.com.
At this rate, Eden Prairie might just become one of the cybersecurity capitals of the world.