As news headlines continually demonstrate, local governments are becoming a top target for hackers and cybercriminals. Therefore, it’s critical that these institutions make every effort to secure their IT infrastructure before a cybersecurity incident occurs. In this case, a six-month delay in reporting the data breach would make it difficult for victims to identify data misuse, meaning that the lack of damages resembles more of a stroke of luck than an intentional strategy.

Whether hackers extract account credentials through phishing scams, purchase them on the Dark Web, or otherwise acquire this valuable data, organizations need to be prepared to protect accounts even when account information is compromised. Enabling easy-to-use tools like two-factor authentication is a natural first step.

Developers took steps to repair the vulnerability, but businesses that want to thrive in our altered digital environment will need to identify threats before their products reach the public. As other organizations have discovered, the COVID-19 pandemic can be an excellent time to demonstrate strength or expose yourself to issues that will erode your brand’s image long after the crisis abates.

Even before bad actors began exfiltrating data, ransomware attacks were uniquely costly and incredibly destructive. Today, companies can expect that a ransomware attack will double as a data breach, giving every organization millions of reasons to ensure that their networks are guarded against this especially problematic malware.

Healthcare services collect and store peoples’ most sensitive personal information, and they are a top target for cybercriminals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than reacting to a cybersecurity incident, companies should take a proactive stance to protect PII. The incredible rise in phishing scams targeting healthcare facilities during this time should make employee awareness training a top priority.