House File 2461, which passed the Iowa House unanimously March 2, would make the development and deployment of ransomware illegal in Iowa except in cases of testing or research. The bill defines ransomware as “a computer or data contaminant, encryption or lock that is placed or introduced into a computer, computer network or computer system […]
The most recent Principal Financial Wellbeing Index found that more than 1 in 4 businesses surveyed experienced a cybersecurity attack in 2021 and among those attacks, more than half were successful. In about one-third of the attacks, ransomware was involved and hackers were able to access confidential data. The businesses’ systems were rendered unusable in […]
Iowa-based information-security company Pratum has announced it will be acquired by Infinite Group Inc., a cybersecurity company based in New York. Pratum will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under IGI’s umbrella, joining its Cybersecurity and Cyber Lab divisions, according to a release. IGI will add Pratum’s SOC/XDR and consulting services to its range of […]
The U.S. Small Business Administration is launching the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program and allocating $3 million in new funding to help emerging small business owners develop their cybersecurity infrastructure, SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced Friday. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses have adopted technology at high rates to survive, operate and grow […]
Millions of devices are vulnerable to cyberthreats due to a bug in the software tool known as Log4j. The flaw was made public two weeks ago on Dec. 9, and allows hackers to remotely execute code on an organization’s systems, giving them an open door to steal data, mine cryptocurrency or launch ransomware attacks. Log4j […]
The information technology agency serving the Virginia Legislature was hit by a ransomware attack Friday that has caused significant damage, the Associated Press reports. The malware damaged “all of the agency’s internal servers, including those for bill drafting, the budget system and the General Assembly voicemail system,” according to an email from the executive director of the […]
The Business Record began releasing results from the 2021 Leader’s Survey in the Nov. 26 print edition. Our annual survey asks business leaders to share what they feel are some of the top issues affecting business in Central Iowa, and in particular the Greater Des Moines region. The following is a selection of responses from leaders who […]
DeltaV Code School, an Iowa-based initiative offering technical education in coding, digital marketing and computer operations, announced Oct. 26 it will launch a 14-week cybersecurity training program. The inaugural cohort will begin classes Nov. 29. Introductory topics, including networks and cloud computing, will be covered briefly before progressing to cryptography, forensics, AI and more. The program […]
The Identity Theft Resource Center released Wednesday a report showing the difficulties small businesses and entrepreneurs face after experiencing a cyber incident. The results of a survey of 417 business leaders and IT professionals in companies of 500 people or fewer revealed that about 60% of the small businesses surveyed have experienced at least one data breach, […]
Sinclair Broadcast Group said Monday that a ransomware attack disabled multiple servers and workstations and resulted in stolen data. The parent company for 185 U.S. television stations, including KDSM-TV in Des Moines, said in a release that what data was taken and the full extent of the attack is unknown, but law enforcement and U.S. […]