{"id":4006,"date":"2022-08-11T09:53:58","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T13:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/?p=4006"},"modified":"2022-08-12T17:27:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T21:27:19","slug":"costa-rica-ransomware-attacks-implications-of-cyberattacks-on-critical-infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/costa-rica-ransomware-attacks-implications-of-cyberattacks-on-critical-infrastructure\/","title":{"rendered":"The Costa Rica Ransomware Attacks: The Implications of Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Implications<\/p>\n

As part of Solutions Review’s Premium Content Series\u2014a collection of contributed columns written by industry experts in maturing software categories\u2014JP Perez-<\/span>Etchegoyen<\/span>, the CTO of <\/span>Onapsis<\/a>, offers insights into the implications that recent cyber-attacks in Costa Rica might have on critical infrastructure security strategies.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It’s been several months since Costa Rica officially declared<\/span> a state of emergency<\/span><\/a> while dealing with the repercussions of two major ransomware attacks. <\/span>Hackers had threatened<\/span><\/a> to overthrow the government and demanded millions of dollars in ransom, all while health officials could not access medical records, and tax systems were frozen for weeks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The aftermath of the Costa Rica attacks underlines how it’s no longer just about stolen data but also about how attacks against critical systems can have real-world implications. <\/span><\/p>\n

We’ve repeatedly seen similar cyber-attacks\u00a0on critical infrastructure and<\/span> against government organizations, and it’s apparent that modern threat actors possess the tools and knowledge to conduct highly sophisticated attacks. A lack of preventative measures and remediation plans can cause detrimental damage to a national government, its critical infrastructure, and its citizens. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below are several best practices and essential tips<\/a> governments and organizations should follow to prevent an attack against critical systems and quickly remediate if an attack occurs. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Enforce Specific Government Regulations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The initial Costa Rica ransomware attack occurred shortly after the newly appointed president, Rodrigo Chaves, took office, exposing a glaring gap in the country’s cyber incident reporting. The administration prior had not revealed just how damaging the incident was, stating it was simply a technical issue. This emphasizes how a lack of cybersecurity incident disclosure and transparency can have disastrous effects and worsen the situation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Governments must impose highly-specific regulations that force organizations to report all cybersecurity incidents, regardless of scope or severity, and adhere to these best practices. The U.S. has made critical advancements in this arena in the past couple of years and some examples other governments should model include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n