Minneapolis – Cyberattacks against Americans have hit record highs over the past two years, according to research from Checkpoint Software. The Government Accountability Office says the United States lacks adequate cybercrime data and oversight and is unprepared to fight cybercrime.
Cybercriminals target the education and research sector the most due to the sensitive information it contains and the lack of proper cyber security. Pete Nicoletti, global chief information officer at Checkpoint Software, said attacks against governments and military forces increased in the fourth quarter of 2023.
“I think it’s because of the continuation of the conflicts that we’re witnessing. Two wars that the world is embroiled in,” Nicoletti said.
John Israel, Minnesota’s chief information security officer, said people are the weakest link in most cyber events. Attacks can easily start with phishing emails that trick people into clicking on a link. Israel said people should keep strong passwords, be wary of suspicious messages and use multi-factor authentication on all accounts to prevent data from being leaked by cybercriminals. (Mills Hayes/Fox News)
The wars between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine seem far away from Steele County, Minnesota. But Steele County Information Technology Director Dave Purcell said the screens remind him of the war.
“was “At war and against other countries that are literally trying to cause damage here,” Purcell said, adding that “a lot of the activity against our firewalls is against the Big Four, as you know, Russia and China. “We’re seeing people coming in from here,” he said. , Iran, and North Korea. ”
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Purcell said cybercriminals target local governments because “we have a lot of really important sensitive information. And the theory behind that is that large governments like the federal and state governments “They don’t have the same level of protection and security that larger organizations have.” You will.”

Steele County IT Director Dave Purscell said the coronavirus has forced IT professionals to come up with solutions to better protect people everywhere. He said the solution for a large county like Hennepin County (which includes the city of Minneapolis) may be different than the solution needed for a smaller county like Steele County. (Mills Hayes/Fox News)
The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Agreement allocates $1 billion to states and territories over the next four years. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says states must apply through state and local cybersecurity grant programs. South Dakota is the only state that has not applied for or received any.
In Minnesota, the federal government allocated $18 million in federal funds and $5.5 million in state matching funds from the Minnesota Legislature. At least 80% of it must be donated to local authorities and at least 25% to rural communities.
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The $1 billion will be distributed to states and territories over the next four years. “It wasn’t meant to be derogatory at all. It was a political statement,” Steele County IT Director Dave Purcell said. He said that sounds like a lot of money, but it will be distributed by the state, and then local governments. “Nothing is cheap” when it comes to cybersecurity, he says. (Mills Hayes/Fox News)
CISO John Israel leads the Minnesota IT Services Executive Branch’s cybersecurity team and the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force. Israel says not all local governments have adequate security measures in place. In September, the agency launched a Statewide Cybersecurity Plan to provide and expand cybersecurity assistance to local governments across the state.
“Government agencies, large and small, collect and store vast amounts of data about presidents and the people they serve,” Israel said in a statement. “Not only are they holding the data, the ransom, the hostages for payment, they are trying to sell it on the black market.”
There are 3,500 organizations in Minnesota, including school districts, local governments and tribal nations, and Israel says the money will move quickly.
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According to Checkpoint Software, attempted ransomware attacks against organizations increased by 33% worldwide last year. Last year, approximately 1 in 20 organizations in the United States fell victim to a ransomware attack. On average, companies receive more than 1,158 cyber attacks per week.
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“Criminal enterprises are really growing in size. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. Some consider the cybercrime environment to be the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China,” Nicoletti said. Stated.
Not only is the quantity of cyber attacks increasing, but so too is their quality. Nicoletti said the use of artificial intelligence has made it harder to spot phishing scams sent via email.