You may have seen in recent news that the PA Attorney General’s Office was hit with a ransomware attack that disrupted their servers, website, phones, emails, and now, cases. The situation is a reminder that cybercriminals do not discriminate. Any organization—large or small—can be a target.

At TREYSTA, we want you to know that we take these threats seriously, and we want you to be prepared. The best protection comes from a layered approach that combines smart technology, daily practices, and employee awareness.

Awareness starts with knowing that once one person is compromised, attackers gain inside information that makes it easier to trick others. If you have any doubt regarding an email and/or its attachment, reach out to our help desk. Our help desk is always here to help you and your team stay protected.

Remember:

• Be cautious with email links and attachments.
• Always verify the authenticity before clicking anything.
• When in doubt, call the sender to confirm before opening attachments or links.
• Never enter your email address and password into sign-ins after clicking a link.
• Remember that threat actors often mimic how people communicate in emails, including tone, nicknames, and familiar phrases—now made easier by using AI.
• Participate in regular Security Awareness Training—you are often the first line of defense against phishing and ransomware attempts.
• Backups are important.

TREYSTA backs up your data so that in the event of a ransomware attack, your business can be fully recovered without paying criminals. If you don’t have backups and we’ve already spoken with you about updating your backup processes, now is the time to make those changes. Without proper, tested backups, recovery can be costly, disruptive, and sometimes impossible.

Here’s a few more critical best practice tips to follow:

• Use strong, unique passwords. (Hint: Use 12-16+ characters with mixed letters, numbers, and symbols—the longer it is, the harder to crack!)
• Use a secure password manager instead of an Excel file*.
• Enable multi-factor authentication on all accounts, even personal ones.
• Never use unsecure Wi-Fi.
• Lock devices when unattended and immediately report lost or stolen equipment.
• Limit what business or personal information is shared publicly online.

*TREYSTA provides a secure, easy to use password manager. If you have questions regarding how to set up your password manager, please contact the help desk.

When it comes to security, it’s always better to ask than to assume. If you’re ever in doubt, reach out to TREYSTA.

Stay Safe, Stay Secure,
The TREYSTA Team