PSATS Cyber Advantage

Cyberattacks, specifically ransomware attacks, are surging across the country – including Pennsylvania, and townships are not immune to data breaches and computer hacks.

PSATS, partnering with the Gunn-Mowery Insurance Agency, created the PSATS Cyber Advantage to help Pennsylvania’s townships and other municipalities protect themselves to prevent attacks, and deal with the consequences if attacked.

The PSATS Cyber Advantage includes robust cyber protection for local governments that often lack the tools and resources to mitigate cyber risks – from prevention resources to insurance protection to help mitigate financial effects of an attack.

According to reports, local government bodies are more likely to be targeted by ransomware attacks than any other type of organization. In fact, in 2020, 44% of global ransomware attacks that have taken place, have been aimed at municipalities.

Ransomware, when malware locks users out of their devices or blocks access to files until a sum of money or ransom is paid, is the most popular tactic among the municipal cyber criminals. Local governments could be stuck paying the cost of a ransom or losing vital information needed to provide services to the community.

With municipal computers storing vital information, ransomware often forces a local government to panic and pay up, but paying hackers leads to a vicious cycle that only funds more sophisticated cyberattacks. From 2017-2020, the estimated reported ransom paid per event in municipalities was $125,697, and an average of 9.6 days of being locked out of the computer system.Click here for more information.