The Colonial Pipeline’s Security Awareness Lessons

Ransomware is one of the top cyber threats facing businesses. The most significant ransomware attack that ever went public involved Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest U.S. pipeline operators in the nation which provided millions of people on the East Coast with gasoline. Cybercriminals propagated ransomware within the organization’s IT infrastructure, allowing hackers to shut down critical systems within the pipeline and drive gas prices through the roof. According to Palo Alto Networks, the average ransom cybercriminals demand increased 171% year-over-year to more than $312,000 in 2020. In Colonial Pipeline’s case, the ransom payment was $5 million. Despite the high cost…