ULLIN, IL. (June 17, 2021)- Ransomware -A term used to identify a type of cybercriminal activity poses potentially crippling effects to businesses and even national economies. For example, the recent attack by using ransomware on the Colonial Pipeline led to gasoline shortages and caused significant nationwide concern. It also caused quite a stir amongst many businesses about their ability to combat this new hacking mechanism. The use of ransomware against companies may not always have such far-reaching consequences; however, there is still much concern regarding how to fight against these attacks.
Phyllis Sander, Computer Systems and Security Specialist Program Instructor at Shawnee Community College, says, “We are definitely going to see a lot more ransomware being used against companies in the near future.” Part of the reason, says Sanders is that it is relatively easy for a cybercriminal to deploy these programs. “Previously criminals needed to be a coding expert to make such attacks; however, with these programs now being available for purchase on the dark web, the process has gotten much easier.”
For more information about the Computer Systems and Security Specialist Program, contact the college at 618.634.3200 or visit the program webpage. Enrollment is going on now for the fall semester.