Security News > 2020 > December > U.S. cybersecurity: Preparing for the challenges of 2021

According to a new report by the Aspen Cybersecurity Group, there are several opportunities for the new presidential administration to increase cybersecurity efforts and awareness to create a more resilient digital infrastructure.

Given the rise in bad actors targeting critical infrastructure, ongoing nation-state threats, and increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks, here are three cybersecurity priorities to keep in mind as we head into 2021 with a new administration.

In the recent VMware Carbon Black Global Incident Response Threat Report, incident response and cybersecurity professionals surveyed noted the biggest threats to election security remain disinformation on social media, ransomware attacks, voter manipulation, and voter disenfranchisement.

In November, attackers targeted the Baltimore County Public Schools - with tons of personal data on hand and less sophisticated plans on how to secure their infrastructure, ransomware attacks continue to surge.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has said "Companies that facilitate ransomware payments to cyber actors on behalf of victims, including financial institutions, cyber insurance firms, and companies involved in digital forensics and incident response, not only encourage future ransomware payment demands but also may risk violating OFAC regulations." While this makes sense on paper, in practice victims end up paying the ransom as it's often the fastest way to resume business as usual.

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