Skip To Main Content BullWall Ransomware Report Download Now
Bullwall logo

BullWall for Government

Government institutions around the world are high-value targets for ransomware gangs. Between 2018 and 2023, U.S. government entities experienced cumulative downtime costs exceeding $860 million due to ransomware incidents.

A SUCCESSFUL RANSOMWARE ATTACK CAN HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT REACH FAR BEYOND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.

From disrupting everyday services, such as benefit payments and access to e-government portals, to blocking emergency services and accessing vital national security systems, the need to stop ransomware attacks swiftly and decisively has never been greater.

Why BullWall?

BullWall provides a specialized ransomware containment solution that protects government institutions by quickly detecting and halting ransomware attacks before attackers can encrypt or exfiltrate data.

 

By stopping attacks in their tracks, BullWall helps government institutions avoid data breaches that could provide bad actors with access to public health systems, public utilities, tax records and law enforcement databases, to name but a few.

Request a Demo

69%

of state and local government organizations reported being targeted by ransomware

90%

of these attacks resulted in data encryption

The State of Ransomware in State and Local Government 2024, Sophos

TOP GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS TRUST BULLWALL

  • Sir Y FFlint Flinshire county council
  • Berlin Logo
  • Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot Council
  • Staffordshire County Council
  • Coventry City Council
  • City of Victoria
  • Sarasota County
  • City of Houston
  • Cygnor Abertawe Swansea Council
  • Lubbock County Texas
  • Solrod Kommune
  • Montgomery County Maryland
  • TÓRSHAVNAR KOMMUNA

HOW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES & DEPARTMENTS BECOME A RANSOMWARE TARGET

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails often impersonate trusted sources, such as colleagues or institutions, to trick recipients into clicking on harmful links or attachments.

91%

of all cyberattacks begin with a phishing email to an unsuspecting victim. Public sector organizations experienced an astounding 360% growth in phishing attacks over a 12-month period.

Unpatched Software & Vulnerabilities

Many government agencies run legacy systems that are difficult to update, leaving them vulnerable to known exploits.

60%

of breach victims reported being compromised by known vulnerabilities. U.S. agencies CISA, NSA and FBI have stated that malicious cyber actors exploited older software vulnerabilities more often than recently disclosed ones.

Compromised RDP & VPN Access

Attackers use stolen or weak passwords to gain access to government networks through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), then deploy ransomware to lock down systems.

90%

of ransomware incidents featured RDP abuse by threat actors, and 56% of organizations experienced cyberattacks that exploited VPN security vulnerabilities in the past year, according to recent studies.

The Impact

The impact of an attack far outweighs the simple financial loss of paying the ransom. Several other factors also have long-lasting implications for the future of the affected department or agency.

LAW ENFORCEMENT & JUDICIAL SYSTEMS DATA EXPOSURE

A ransomware attack that compromises government data can violate federal and state data protection laws, such as the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), the Privacy Act, and GDPR.

DISRUPTION OF CRITICAL PUBLIC UTILITIES

A ransomware attack on public utilities can have devastating consequences, disrupting essential services such as electricity, water supply, and waste management. By encrypting critical systems and demanding payment for restoration, attackers can incapacitate operational technology, leading to power outages, water contamination risks, and delays in emergency response services.

NATIONAL SECURITY & DEFENSE RISKS

If attackers gain access to defense networks, they could halt communications, disable surveillance systems, or even manipulate sensitive data, putting national security at risk. Such breaches can also expose vulnerabilities to adversaries, leading to espionage or cyber warfare threats.

What would a ransomware attack cost you?

Calculate Cost

Ransomwrae resilience in healthcare, watch the webinar

Watch Video

We cannot take our eyes off the ball, and BullWall Ransomware Containment has given us the additional eyes to help tackle this activity.

IT Managerof a Large UK Council

What is Ransomware Resilience in Government?

Ransomware resilience is the ability to prevent, contain, and respond to ransomware attacks, minimizing damage and ensuring rapid recovery of data and operations to maintain business continuity.

Prevention

Reduce the risk of disruptions to operations, which can be costly and damaging to productivity.

Containment

Minimize the impact to business operations when ransomware gets through, and significantly reduce recovery efforts.

Recovery

Resilient organizations recover quickly to limit operational downtime and return stronger.

Think You’re Ransomware Resilient? Find Out for sure.

Book Assessment

Be Ransomware Ready… with BullWall

BullWall’s unique approach to ransomware provides server-based protection without an endpoint agent to secure critical IT infrastructure and maintain operational continuity across all stages of an attack—before, during, and after.

Phishing emails are cybercriminal’s delivery method of choice. 

 

With such high volumes of emails being delivered to government agencies and departments every day, it’s only a matter of time before someone clicks on something they shouldn’t, triggering the delivery of a ransomware payload.

BullWall is the only solution that immediately contains an active attack, regardless of the delivery method, ensuring resilience and business continuity.

Unpatched software and existing vulnerabilities within government systems provide bad actors with easy access to your network.

 

While regular software updates and patch management are essential to prevent ransomware attacks that exploit software vulnerabilities, BullWall provides an additional layer of security by immediately detecting, isolating, and halting active ransomware attacks, even if initial defenses are breached.

BullWall protects you from both known vulnerabilities and hidden threats you may not even be aware of.

Bad actors prefer to switch off preventative security solutions using compromised Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) sessions before launching an attack.

 

Cybercriminals use brute force attacks, credential stuffing, man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, phishing emails, and unpatched vulnerabilities to infiltrate networks. Once inside, they move laterally, deactivating security defenses before launching a full-scale attack.

BullWall protects all data and critical IT infrastructure – the true targets of a ransomware attack.

Request a Demo

Bullwall Ransomware Containment Get The Ransomware Kill Switch

Our ransomware containment product immediately contains and neutralizes an attack.

Learn More

BullWall Server Intrusion Protection Safeguard Servers from Ransomware

Our SIP product reduces breach risk by securing remote server access and critical server tasks.

Learn More

BullWall Virtual Server Protection  Protect Your Virtual Environment

Our VSP product protects your VMware vSphere and ESXi platforms from ransomware. 

Learn More

RELATED RESOURCES

BLOG POST

How Ransomware Impacts Government Organizations

Government institutions provide critical services to citizens, including healthcare, public safety, transportation, and utilities and as such are prime targets for ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks...

Read More

U.K. Government

BullWall Helps U.K. Government Agency Prevent Security Breach

Download

Solutions Brief: Government

Government institutions around the world are high-value targets for ransomware attacks.

Download