Ransomware has made its way into various news headlines for impacting corporations and government agencies. Most recently, Ransomware was responsible for the Colonial Pipeline shutdown that caused gas shortages in the southern U.S. and the East Coast.
Barracuda, a cybersecurity company estimates that there is a ransomware attack every 11 minutes. It is malicious software that encrypts files making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid, usually in Bitcoin. Cybercriminals will also threaten to publish the data that is stolen, causing more damage to the company.
Ransomware can compromise systems using a variety of methods, but the most common is through phishing emails. Remember to exercise caution when clicking on a link or attachment in an email.
If you receive a suspected phishing email in your Vail Resorts email account, be sure to report it to the Information Security team using the PhishAlarm button in Microsoft Outlook. For more information regarding PhishAlarm to report suspicious emails, please see: Phishing & PhishAlarm FAQ.docx.