Cybersecurity expert members providing assistance to industry peers, Rapid Response Team formed, CompTIA ISAO resources made available
CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce, announced several actions to help IT companies affected by the ransomware attack that has impacted organizations world-wide.
CompTIA member companies are providing immediate assistance and support to other IT companies and through them, to customers victimized by the ransomware attack that struck on July 2.
“Within hours of the attack being discovered more than three dozen members of the CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) offered assistance, including driving or flying to impacted companies to provide additional ‘boots on the ground,’ as well as sharing communications, incident response strategies, technical support and other resources,” said MJ Shoer, senior vice president and executive director of the CompTIA ISAO.
Building on this immediate effort of peer-to-peer help, CompTIA is forming a Rapid Response Team comprised of internal and member resources that will help any IT firm that is the victim of a cyberattack, regardless of whether they are a CompTIA member.
Additionally, the CompTIA ISAO is providing near real-time updates on the attack in its Cyber Forum, with the information available to the entire industry, not just ISAO members.
Recommended ITech News: Tom Lacey Joins AKHAN Semiconductor as Chairman of the Board
“This was a global attack impacting companies around the world, reminding us that we face unprecedented threats from cyberattacks unlike any threat we have collectively faced in the past,” Shoer said. “That is why it is critical that we engage in an active discourse that discourages ‘cyber-shaming’ and encourages public and private organizations to come forward immediately and share as much threat intelligence as possible to limit the damage of these attacks and to ward off future incursions.”
Shoer noted that many industry professionals felt that this attack – classified as a ‘sophisticated supply chain attack’ by the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency and the FBI – was inevitable, especially for MSPs. A 2021 CompTIA survey found that 62% of MSPs were very concerned and 30% somewhat concerned about being targeted with cyberattacks.
“Kaseya just holds the unfortunate distinction of being the company attacked, even as they were working on closing down the very vulnerability that the attackers used,” he said. “Kaseya is to be commended for their transparency throughout this attack.”
Recommended ITech News: Eni Successfully Completes Annual SOC 2 Type 2 Examination
