NYC Launches Cyberdefense Center To Combat Ransomware Attacks
Image via Shutterstock
Last month, the largest petroleum pipeline in the United States, the Colonial Pipeline, was breached by a cyberattack, causing it to go offline for several days. This resulted in price spikes and panic-buying of gas in some states on the East Coast.
Noticing an increase in the likelihood of such cyber attacks, New York City has launched its own cyberdefense center in Manhattan. Set in a skyscraper, it will consist of 282 partners – public and private entities – working together to spot and protect against possible cybersecurity threats, ranging from the NYPD to firms such as Amazon.
According to SlashGear, a report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that the center had already undergone its own “war games” at an IBM cyber range, allowing it to practice battling against various forms of cyber attacks.
The center will also serve as a collective hub for data, so that New York City can guard itself against ransomware attacks occurring anywhere else in the country.
The ever-increasing number of cyber attacks has prompted the city to launch this project back in 2019, with it being fully instated now to protect the region against ransomware attacks that could cripple businesses and city infrastructure, just like the Colonial Pipeline incident.
Cities will suffer should a major service provider or essential service (such as hospitals) stall due to a cyber attack. This new cyberdefense center will help New York City prevent such a crisis from occurring, plus help it monitor other threats throughout the nation and train to defend against them.
[via SlashGear, cover image via Shutterstock]
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