Weekly Cybersecurity Recap March 25

Dozens of cyber-attacks occur every single day.  Though most of these attempts to breach systems and steal data are thwarted, some succeed in compromising targeted computers.  It merely takes one successful digital attack to stifle a business's productivity.  If your company has not yet implemented the best possible digital security tools, now is the time to do so.  

Learn from the attacks detailed below, step up your digital defense, and the stage will be set for smooth business operations.  Without further ado, let's look at the latest cyber-attacks from the last week of March.

Okta Breach

Okta's brass is reviewing what appears to be a significant digital security breach.  The software giant acknowledged the attack in a statement transmitted to CNN.  This is an especially important breach as Okta specializes in protective software for authentication.  The Lapsus$ hacking collective is behind the attack.

Lapsus$ hackers insist they targeted Okta customers as opposed to the company itself.  Okta is just the latest corporate target hit by the Lapsus$ hacking group. The hackers even go as far as highlighting their successful hacks on their Telegram channel, adding salt to the metaphorical wound of their criminal digital breaches.

AvosLocker Ransomware

AvosLocker ransomware has compromised some of our nation's most critically important infrastructure. The ransomware attacks have taken such a massive toll that the FBI has gotten involved.  The FBI fears AvosLocker ransomware attacks have advanced to the point that they might compromise national security.  

AvosLocker ransomware is ransomware-as-a-service that targets essential businesses in the country's key industries ranging from manufacturing to government and financial services.  The hackers use crypto locking performed on their own and also through affiliates. The harmful code transmitted to computers and networks steals information and posts it to the web unless a ransom is paid in cryptocurrency by the hackers' deadline.

President Biden Pushes for Cyber Defense Upgrades

President Biden urges CEOs and company leaders to bolster their digital security defenses in anticipation of a Russian cyber-attack.  Biden insists there is a high probability that Russian hackers will retaliate against the United States after economic sanctions were imposed. However, instead of launching a traditional attack through a military effort, the Russians are more likely to launch a digital offensive.  

The Biden-Harris administration recommends companies implement two-factor authentication, install patches, and perform vulnerability testing to shore up any cybersecurity weaknesses.  Biden also noted his team is enhancing the digital security measures of the country's electricity, pipeline, and water sectors.

Medical Collection Debt to be Erased

In a major win for consumers throughout the United States, it was recently announced that paid medical debts would be removed from credit reports.  The paid debts will be taken off credit reports as early as this summer. There is also some discussion in the beltway that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an entity that regulates credit agencies, will analyze the merits of banning medical debt across the board.  

The elimination of medical debt might not set the stage for universal healthcare any time soon, yet it will certainly boost the credit scores of millions of Americans while simultaneously improving mental health throughout the nation.  As of the time of this publication, Americans are saddled by more than $90 billion of medical debt.