White House says it is reaching out to ransomware victims

WASHINGTON - The White House said on Sunday it was reaching out to victims of a wide-ranging ransomware outbreak centered on a Florida-based information technology company.

In a statement, deputy national security adviser for cyber Anne Neuberger said the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's cyber arm "will reach out to identified victims to provide assistance based upon an assessment of national risk."

The full impact of the intrusion at Kaseya is still coming into focus, in part because the affected Kaseya software tool is used by so-called managed service providers, outsourcing shops that other businesses use to handle their back-office IT work, like installing updates.

Targets included schools, small public-sector bodies, travel and leisure organizations, credit unions and accountants, said Ross McKerchar, chief information security officer at Sophos Group Plc.

McKerchar said the wave of intrusions was another illustration of how difficult it was for modestly sized businesses to beat back increasingly well-funded cybercriminal gangs.

"Small businesses are outgunned when it comes to cybersecurity," he said. —Reuters