New Bedford ransomware attack could happen in Boston

The threat of a cyberattack like the one that recently hit the city of New Bedford is ever-present and the risk is heightened in large cities like Boston, cybersecurity experts say.

“Nobody is immune” from a cyberattack, said Samuel Curry, chief security officer of Cybereason, a Boston cybersecurity company.

“The important thing here is that you have to protect the constituents of your city, you have to protect the public good,” said Curry, who added that in the worst of attacks, an entire city could be affected with important public services like EMS or police out of commission.

“An entire town could go down for days or weeks,” said Curry.

Curry said protecting a city against a cyberattack comes down to planning and practice. Having proper controls in place, limiting the impact of the damage and backing up computers frequently are keys to making sure an attack isn’t detrimental.

“You should have a playbook that you open up and you’ve done the thinking when you’re not under pressure,” said Curry.

The average estimated business cost as a result of a ransomware attack — including ransom, work loss and time spent responding — is more than $900,000, according to SentinelOne, an endpoint security software company.

Chris Bates, vice president of security strategy at SentinelOne, said one thing that contributes to holes in cybersecurity in big cities is the frequent turnover of elected officials, leaving a “disjointed execution of a cybersecurity plan.”

“Most municipalities have not planned what to do with a true cyberattack and don’t understand the true ripple effect of a cyberattack,” said Bates.

Bates said something as simple as opening the wrong email or navigating to an unprotected website can kick off the chain of events that leads to an attack.

Tracking down a hacker could prove nearly impossible in some cases considering the crime could be conducted from another country, and hackers know how to erase their steps.

Curry said the solution rate for cyberattacks is very low. “If they get caught, it’s usually because they made a mistake.

“It’s not showing any sign of going away and ransomware is just hitting more people and making more money all the time,” said Curry.

Deciding whether to pay the ransom in an attack can be a tricky step. In New Bedford, hackers asked for a $5.3 million bitcoin ransom, which town officials did not pay.

Bates said paying a ransom is expensive but it could get the city’s system back in a timely manner. However, there is often no guarantee the hacker will completely comply if paid.

“Even if you are going to pay out, it is always better to get a ransomware negotiator,” said Bates.

The city of Boston protects information assets from unauthorized disclosure, theft, loss and destruction, and ensures they are available when needed, especially during emergencies, according to the city.

Greg McCarthy, chief information security officer for Boston’s cybersecurity team, said in a statement, “Creating a secure, convenient and reliable cyber system is a top priority in the City of Boston. The City of Boston’s Cybersecurity Team works every day to maintain and increase our city’s protections against cyber risk, and ensure all residents have access to reliable information and resources.”

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