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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2020)
JUNE 19, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5 TREND: 22 cities in Texas How ransomware works were struck simultaneously (Continued from Page A1) companies have begun offer- ing cyberinsurance that cov- ers some of the ransom costs incurred by the victims. One expert told the New York Times that such packages could in- crease the targeting of enti- ties with cyberinsurance since those purchases become part of the public record. In the wake of such attacks, every device – from tablets issued to city councilors to the laptops installed in police vehicles – must be examined for existing vulnerabilities and hardened against future attacks. The strain of ransomware that was used in many of the most recent attacks is named Sodinokibi (see related arti- cle., How ransomware works, this page.) However, the ransom de- manded by hackers from a city are only a portion of the costs they incur. In addition to the ransom, Keizer had to contract with a cybersecurity fi rm to negotiate with the hackers and now it will have to spend even more on security in the future data back-ups and, likely, ad- ditional consultants to oversee bringing the system back on- line. When Atlanta was held hostage in 2018, the attackers requested $51,000 in Bitcoin – a cryptocurrency – but bring- ing the city back online was estimated at an additional $17 million. Whatever costs Keizer is forced to absorb as a result of the attack is likely to result in cost cutting in other places. The largest portion of Keiz- er’s budget goes toward police personnel. Those behind the attacks are only rarely prosecuted be- cause of the untraceable mech- anisms used to make ransom payments. In a report published by the World Economic Forum, cities of all sizes are urged to prepare for future digital strikes in the same way they would for an earthquake. “Digital security is not only about hardware and soft- ware. It is about adopting a comprehensive whole-of-city approach. Security must be conceived as an essential prior- ity, something that is designed into every element of the ur- ban infrastructure, not merely introduced as an afterthought. It requires developing the rules, regulations, procedures and budgets for city authori- ties, businesses and residents to prepare and respond to digital threats when and after they inevitably occur,” the report states. The report cites human er- ror and a failure to implement best practices as the leading causes of such attacks succeed- ing. Many attacks could be pre- vented with relatively sim- ple actions such as “software patching, correct fi rewall con- fi guration, frequent and re- dundant backups, and use of multi-factor authentication for logons,” the report concludes. CASINO, continued from Page A1 The state’s current gam- ing policy remains one casino per tribe on reservation land. A potential Salem casino has long been a part of local con- versations, the original pro- posal was put forward in the crossword By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes It will likely take days or weeks to fully understand how Keizer’s data systems were held for ransom, but dig- ital strikes on other cities and counties provide some insight into how it all works. Ransomware is different than what the average user envisions when being hacked. Rather than destroying or downloading data, ransom- ware makes data inaccessible through encryption that can only be unlocked with a nu- meric key held by the hackers. Hackers are typical- ly known to charge ransom based on the number of serv- ers it was able to lock up and payments are made through a web of untraceable digital transactions. Meanwhile in cities with libraries, the hacks meant checking out books with pen and paper logs. For many police departments, hacks resulted in hand-written citations. Emails sent to Keizer city employees bounced back for several days. According to a malware Wikipedia site, comprised of knowledge gleaned from those who have dealt with ransomware, a strain known as Sodinokibi is the current scourge of cities near and far. Sodinokibi doesn’t de- stroy data and many of the users don’t appear to down- load much unless the victim refuses to pay ransom. Sudi- nokibi, also known as REvil, is believed to have originated in Russia and has already re- sulted in roughly $7 million in known ransoms paid. Ransoms are paid to affi li- ates of the hacker or group of hackers. The affi liates report- edly keep 60 percent of the ransom paid and that amount increases to 70 percent after three successful transactions. The remainder goes to the ac- tor or actors behind the hack. As of early 2020, there were roughly 40 known affi liates accepting ransom payments for successful Sodinokibi at- 1990s and Oregon’s governor was given veto power over any potential off-reservation casinos in a 1997 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals deci- sion. The Siletz Tribe would need approval from the Sec- retary of the Department of the Interior and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown before proceed- ing. The Siletz proposed split- ting any potential revenues with 25 percent going to the state, 25 percent to the Con- federated Tribes of the Siletz, and 50 percent divvied up be- tween eight federally recog- nized tribes in Oregon. tacks. While many cases are re- solved with the payment of a ransom, some Sodinokibi hackers raised the stakes ear- lier this month, according to Brian Krebs, a cybersecurity reporter with The Washington Post. One of the hackers behind the Sudinokibi ransomware began auctioning off data it stole from a Canadian ag- ricultural production com- pany. The starting price was $50,000 for 22,000 stolen fi les. The Krebs report suggests that auctioning data is one way hackers are diversifying their portfolios given the decreased ability of some agencies to pay ransoms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. On a fi nal note, Sudinokibi unleashes its economic hav- oc with a program so small it could fi t on a 3.5-inch fl oppy disk produced in 1986. maze COVID-19 has created a greater need for donations to the Keizer Community Food Bank Please consider donating food or fi nancial help. Maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer sudoku Enter digits from 1-9 into the blank spac- es. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. BRIAN & APRIL McVAY 503.510.6827 - Call or Text anytime As lifelong residents, we are your Keizer neighbor. We know this market and we are here to help! Enjoying real estate since 1998 3975 River Rd N • Suite 3 • Keizer Oregon Licensed Real Estate Brokers
