BlackCat Ransomware Shuts Down the St. Lucie County Tax Collectors Office
The St. Lucie County tax collector’s office has experienced a temporary shutdown of its computer system, attributing the disruption to a ransomware attack confirmed by Tax Collector Chris Craft in late October. Despite the incident, Craft assures taxpayers that their personal information remains secure, with sensitive data such as driver’s license information and car registration stored on a state server and credit card transactions handled by a secure processing vendor.
In an interview with WPTV, Craft emphasized the proactive measures taken to safeguard sensitive information, stating, “We’ve contacted the state, and it’s 100% secure. On the credit card side, that’s all handled with our credit card processing vendor. We’ve contacted them, and they’re 100% secure as well.”
What is BlackCat?
BackCat is orchestrated as a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) by ALPHV, a Russian cybercrime group. Employing a triple-extortion strategy, BlackCat imposes ransom demands for file decryption, non-disclosure of stolen data, and prevention of denial of service (DoS) attacks.
As of September 2023, the FBI reports that affiliates associated with ALPHV Blackcat have successfully compromised more than 1000 entities. Of this total, nearly 75 percent are situated within the United States, with the remaining approximately 250 entities located outside the country. Notably, their ransom demands have exceeded $500 million, and they have received nearly $300 million in ransom payments.
In addition to the St. Lucie Tax Collector’s Office, reports indicate that the BlackCat ransomware was also used to compromise the First Judicial Circuit Court in northwest Florida. Crowetz underscores the significant cost incurred during recovery efforts, emphasizing the extensive labor involved in getting systems back online.
Tax Collector Chris Craft expresses the challenges faced in the aftermath of the attack, stating, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with in 20 years of public service.” Despite the setback, Craft’s commitment to securing taxpayer information and the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy underscore the resilience required to navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity threats.
How Can This Be Prevented
Preventing a ransomware attack involves implementing a multi-faceted cybersecurity strategy. First and foremost, maintaining up-to-date and comprehensive backups of critical data is crucial, ensuring that even if systems are compromised, data can be restored without succumbing to ransom demands. Regularly updating software, operating systems, and security patches helps close potential vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit. Employee training programs on recognizing phishing attempts and exercising caution when clicking on links or downloading attachments can significantly reduce the risk of infection. Employing robust antivirus and anti-malware solutions adds an extra layer of defense, while implementing network segmentation limits the lateral movement of ransomware within an organization. Finally, establishing a strong incident response plan that includes regular drills and collaboration with cybersecurity experts ensures a swift and effective response in the event of an attack, minimizing potential damage and downtime. EZETech is your local cybersecurity expert and we are here to help prevent ransomware attacks. Give us a call today: (772) 237-7732
