Online Public Relations Thoughts

Colonial Pipeline apparently paid hackers $5 million in cryptocurrency to unlock its computer files from ransomware.  The better approach would have been to rebuild its system and not to pay at all.  But, that wasn't possible with looming fuel shortages in the Southeast US.  The hackers had lodged the company between a rock and a hard place.  There was nothing Colonial could do.  The problem with paying up is that it opens a company to other hackers who will try the same ransomware attack again.  Colonial has earned a reputation as an easy mark.  Its only safety is to take cybersecurity seriously and to harden its systems to the largest extent possible.  The ransomware was a lesson to other companies as well that have yet to spend what it takes to be mostly protected.  If they paid little attention in the past, they know now they can be put out of business.