Security Policy Alert: DHS and DOT Secretaries Send Joint Message on Cybersecurity
August 17, 2021
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg issued a joint letter to the owners and operators of the transportation systems sector warning about the threat posed by malicious cyber actors and urging the transportation sector and critical infrastructure partners to take steps to protect against a ransomware attack.
In the letter, DHS and DOT warn that malicious hackers have targeted critical infrastructure, including hospitals, pipelines, food processing facilities, and water utilities, as well as police departments, community banks, and schools. There have already been multiple notable ransomware attacks in 2021 and these attacks directly impact Americans' daily lives, the economy, and the nation's security. Roughly $350 million in ransom was paid to malicious cyber actors in 2020, a more than 300% increase from the previous year.
DHS and DOT strongly encourages transportation sector owners and operators to protect their networks against ransomware and other malicious cyber attacks. The letter highlights StopRansomware.gov as a resource for the transportation sector to get the basic information it needs to do just that.
Earlier this month, the United States Government launched StopRansomware.gov, which provides a one-stop shop with best practices from across the federal government to protect against ransomware, clear guidance on how to report attacks, and the latest ransomware-related alerts from participating agencies. It is the first such central hub by the federal government and includes resources and content from the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Justice's FBI, the Department of Commerce's NIST, and the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services.
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg issued a joint letter to the owners and operators of the transportation systems sector warning about the threat posed by malicious cyber actors and urging the transportation sector and critical infrastructure partners to take steps to protect against a ransomware attack.
In the letter, DHS and DOT warn that malicious hackers have targeted critical infrastructure, including hospitals, pipelines, food processing facilities, and water utilities, as well as police departments, community banks, and schools. There have already been multiple notable ransomware attacks in 2021 and these attacks directly impact Americans' daily lives, the economy, and the nation's security. Roughly $350 million in ransom was paid to malicious cyber actors in 2020, a more than 300% increase from the previous year.
DHS and DOT strongly encourages transportation sector owners and operators to protect their networks against ransomware and other malicious cyber attacks. The letter highlights StopRansomware.gov as a resource for the transportation sector to get the basic information it needs to do just that.
Earlier this month, the United States Government launched StopRansomware.gov, which provides a one-stop shop with best practices from across the federal government to protect against ransomware, clear guidance on how to report attacks, and the latest ransomware-related alerts from participating agencies. It is the first such central hub by the federal government and includes resources and content from the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Justice's FBI, the Department of Commerce's NIST, and the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services.
