Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations

Ransomware Education: Availability, Accessibility, and Ease of Use

Presenter Information

Judson GagerFollow

Academic Level at Time of Presentation

Senior

Major

Telecommunications Systems Management

List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)

Dr. Randall Joyce

Presentation Format

Oral Presentation

Abstract/Description

With cybersecurity constantly in the media outlets with breaches, cybercrime, and cyberwarfare, it has become a significant concern for all. One of the most recent breaches in the summer of 2021 was the Colonial Pipeline breach, which has proven the country's reliance on these industrial control systems and networking. The systems were taken for ransom by a new type of ransomware written in a different programming language. Although the Colonial Pipeline breach was resolved relatively quickly, the impact of the gas shortage and the response time were alarming at triaging the breach. However, this attack showed the public how dangerous ransomware could be, mainly when groups target crucial supply chains and infrastructure critical to the functioning of a nation's economy. The only proper "solution" to these attacks is a standard solution to many information security issues, user training. However, the reality of the problem is that even if computers were one hundred percent secure and infallible machines, which they are not, user error could still compromise an entire system.

Location

Waterfield Gallery

Start Date

November 2021

End Date

November 2021

Fall Scholars Week 2021 Event

Honors Senior Presentations

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Nov 18th, 12:30 PM Nov 18th, 1:30 PM

Ransomware Education: Availability, Accessibility, and Ease of Use

Waterfield Gallery

With cybersecurity constantly in the media outlets with breaches, cybercrime, and cyberwarfare, it has become a significant concern for all. One of the most recent breaches in the summer of 2021 was the Colonial Pipeline breach, which has proven the country's reliance on these industrial control systems and networking. The systems were taken for ransom by a new type of ransomware written in a different programming language. Although the Colonial Pipeline breach was resolved relatively quickly, the impact of the gas shortage and the response time were alarming at triaging the breach. However, this attack showed the public how dangerous ransomware could be, mainly when groups target crucial supply chains and infrastructure critical to the functioning of a nation's economy. The only proper "solution" to these attacks is a standard solution to many information security issues, user training. However, the reality of the problem is that even if computers were one hundred percent secure and infallible machines, which they are not, user error could still compromise an entire system.