Nevada ransomware attack prompts spike in attempted intrusions

Attempted cyberattacks against Nevada have surged by over 300% following a ransomware incident that disrupted multiple state websites and digital services late last month, StateScoop reports.

Despite experiencing significantly higher phishing attempts following an announcement of a statewide password reset for government employees, Nevada was able to recover nearly 90% of impacted websites and services, as increased vigilance among state workers allowed the prompt discovery and mitigation of intrusions, according to Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Additional safeguards have already been adopted by Nevada amid ongoing efforts to investigate the incident which was noted to affect data related to state processes, inventory, and databases and restore affected systems.

"We are implementing stronger governance policies and controls across state government. The state has initiated identity-hardened processes, which include requiring a stronger minimum password standard and expanding multi-factor authentication so criminals cannot reuse the old login information that the employees used previously," Lombardo added.