News and Updates on Information Technology

Canada – Northwest Territories Power Corporation

Exploit: Ransomware

Northwest Territories Power Corporation: Electricity provider

Risk to Small Business: 1.571 = Severe

A ransomware attack disabled the power provider’s servers and email accounts. Website visitors were abruptly greeted by a message from the hackers notifying them of the attack and providing steps to purchase a decryption key to unlock the data. The event brought dismay from consumers who lamented another hurdle in an already tumultuous time. What’s more, it’s unclear if the company will be able to restore services from backup files, meaning they will likely have an expensive path to recovery.

Individual Risk: At this time, no personal information was compromised in the breach.

Customers Impacted: Unknown

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Ransomware attacks can feel random and inevitable. In reality, they always require an access point, and companies can take steps to defend their digital environment from these attacks. For instance, assessing your network for vulnerabilities and identifying compromised login credentials can go a long way toward ensuring that your company isn’t the next victim.

Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ntpc-apparent-ransomware-attack-1.5551603