THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 Page 9 AG Healey urges businesses and organizations to remain on guard against cyberattacks this holiday season I n light of persistent and ongoing cyber threats this holiday season, Attorney General Maura Healey is urging organizations, especially critical infrastructure owners and operators, to adopt a heightened state of vigilance against cyberattacks and to proactively assess existing data security practices. “Cybercrime is a prominent and persistent threat against both our public infrastructure and our private enterprises,” said Healey. “We urge all Massachusetts businesses and government organizations to take action to strengthen their cyber defenses, and we will continue to work alongside our federal law enforcement partners to address evolving security threats.” The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) urged business leaders and operators of critical infrastructure, such as public utilities, government organizations and agencies, logistics and transportation fi rms, and healthcare providers, to take immediate steps to strengthen their organization’s operational resiliency against cyber threats. Healey joins CISA in off ering the following actions to reinforce their defenses: • Increase organizational vigilance by ensuring there are no gaps in Information Technology (IT)/Operational Technology (OT) security personnel coverage and that staff provides continual monitoring for all types of anomalous behavior. Security coverage is particularly important during the winter holiday season when organizations typically have lower staffi ng. • Prepare your organization for rapid response by adopting a state of heightened awareness. Create, update, or review your cyber incident response procedures and ensure your personnel are familiar with the key steps they need to take during and following an incident. Have staff check reporting processes and exercise continuity of operations plans to test your ability to operate key functions in an IT-constrained or otherwise degraded environment. Consider your organization’s cross-sector dependencies and the impact that a potential incident at your organization may have on other sectors, as well as how an incident at those sectors could aff ect your organization. • Ensure your network defenders implement cybersecurity best practices. Enforce multi-factor authentication and strong passwords, install software updates (prioritizing known exploited vulnerabilities), and secure accounts and credentials. • Stay informed about current cybersecurity threats and malicious techniques. Encourage your IT/OT security staff to subscribe to CISA’s mailing list Sweet Dreams By Gini Pariseau I t was an especially dark night. The moon was only showing a sliver of itself. It looked like it had been dipped in chocolate. A hint of cloud that looked like a scoop of marshmallow fl uff could be seen beside the sliver of moon. It was a night for sweet dreams. Some girls and boys knew what time of year it was by the change in the weather. Some knew by the amount of shopping their parents suddenly did. Others knew by the name of the month on the calendar… December! It was the time of year to be especially good. It was a night to catch a sweet dream. Sweet dreams love an especially dark night. They fl y around out there by the dozens, bumping into each other, trying to fi nd a lovely little sleeping child to share their magic. It is a very diffi cult and tedious task to make the perfect match. When morning comes, all sweet dreams must be gone. All are, hopefully, in the hearts and minds of chiland feeds to receive notifications when CISA releases information about a security topic or threat. CISA regularly announces emerging security threats to organizations, such as security vulnerabilities with ApacheLog4j, a commonly used opensource application. • Lower the threshold for threat and information sharing. Immediately report cybersecurity incidents and anomalous activity to CISA and/or the FBI. Cyberattacks can cause substantial disruptions to businesses, government agencies and other targets. Earlier this year, a widely-reported cybersecurity breach at Colonial Pipeline led to fuel shortages across the East Coast. In April 2021, the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts faced ransomware attacks against systems at City Hall, the Lawrence Police Department and the Lawrence Fire Department. A similar ransomware attack targeted the Brockton, Massachusetts police department in July 2021. The Massachusetts Data Security Regulations, which the AG’s Offi ce regularly enforces, also require entities to employ many of the above safeguards with respect to personal information about Massachusetts residents that an entity maintains, stores, transmits, or processes electronically. All organizations, regardless of sector, size, or location, must recognize that no company is safe from being targeted by ransomware and other cyber threats. Detailed guidance and resources from the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency can be found at CISA Insights: Preparing For and Mitigating Potential Cyber Threats. The National Institute of Standards and Technology also provide guidelines and practices for organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. USA Lawn and Yard Care SNOW PLOWING Driveways From $ 35 * REASONABLE RATES * Prompt, Courteous Service * PARKING LOTS 781-521-9927 At this time of dren somewhere in this world. Babies in cribs, boys and girls in their beds, sleeping bags, tents and parent’s arms – all were sound asleep and hoping for a sweet dream. Now, it was getting close to morning and getting close to December 25. There was one dream still out there this night. It was floating around frantically trying to fi nd some child who would cherish the magic of dreaming and would want what this sweet dream had to off er. It was December and children are very particular about their sweet dreams. But, that was the hard part… what this sweet dream had to off er. It wasn’t sweet like candy or fun like doing a puzzle or riding a bike. It was plain and simple and shared in a minute. As the sun came up and the moon melted into day, somewhere in this world a little child awoke from the night and remembered the sweet dream that was shared and whispered in their ear…you are loved! How sweet it is! Magic and Wonder, We count our blessings to serve such an AMAZING Community! To All of Our Friends & Neighbors, We Wish You a Joyous Holiday Season, and a Bright, Happy New Year! memberspluscu.org 781-905-1500 Better Rates Free Checking Large ATM Network Mobile App MEDFORD NORWOOD DORCHESTER EVERETT PLYMOUTH Call
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