Our Recommendations from the White House FACT SHEET: Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We as a company do not believe in fear-mongering, so it is with complete sincerity that I wish to share with our customers and followers the recent release from the White House titled FACT SHEET: Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks. 

In summary, this document warns us again and repeatedly about the potential for Russia to engage in “malicious cyber activity against the United States” as a response to the economic sanctions we have imposed. It also warns of “evolving intelligence” that Russia may be exploring options for potential cyberattacks. 

I felt it was urgent to share with you the steps we can all take to protect ourselves, our businesses and our community. 

Please contact us if we may be of service at this unprecedented time.

Here are the steps recommended by the fact sheet: 

Excerpted from the FACT SHEET: Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks 

“We urge companies to execute the following steps with urgency:

• Mandate the use of multi-factor authentication on your systems to make it harder for attackers to get onto your system;
• Deploy modern security tools on your computers and devices to continuously look for and mitigate threats;
• Check with your cybersecurity professionals to make sure that your systems are patched and protected against all known vulnerabilities, and change passwords across your networks so that previously stolen credentials are useless to malicious actors;
• Back up your data and ensure you have offline backups beyond the reach of malicious actors;
• Run exercises and drill your emergency plans so that you are prepared to respond quickly to minimize the impact of any attack;
• Encrypt your data so it cannot be used if it is stolen;
• Educate your employees to common tactics that attackers will use over email or through websites, and encourage them to report if their computers or phones have shown unusual behavior, such as unusual crashes or operating very slowly; and
• Engage proactively with your local FBI field office or CISA Regional Office to establish relationships in advance of any cyber incidents. Please encourage your IT and Security leadership to visit the websites of CISA and the FBI where they will find technical information and other useful resources.”

Sincerely,

Brian Largent

Chief Executive Officer