Security News > 2020 > October > Feds Sound Alarm Over Emotet Attacks on State, Local Govs

A dramatic uptick in Emotet phishing attacks since July has led the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to issue a warning that state and local governments need to fortify their systems against the trojan.

"This increase has rendered Emotet one of the most prevalent ongoing threats," the CISA alert, issued Tuesday, read. The alarm comes at a time when municipalities are already strained, juggling the concurrent crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread social unrest and a caustic election season.

In August, CISA saw a 1,000-percent spike in Emotet loader downloads, and the attacks started to include state and local governments.

"While the Emotet is an advanced trojan primarily seen to affect desktops, our data shows mobile users encountering phishing attacks at a rate of over 30 percent on their personal devices," Banda said.

Local municipalities, from tribal and territorial governments to state authorities, as well as private businesses, are being encouraged by CISA to review existing security protocols and make necessary updates to prepare for the next Emotet phishing attempt.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/feds-alarm-emotet-attacks-state-local/159954/