A ransomware attack on U.S. payments platform provider BridgePay has caused significant disruption across various sectors, including restaurants and municipal organizations. The company confirmed the attack last Friday, stating that federal law enforcement and external forensic teams have been enlisted.

Cash-Only Operations

Due to the card processing outage, several businesses had to switch to cash-only transactions. For instance, Jimmy’s Roadhouse Bar & Grill in Michigan temporarily ceased accepting credit or debit card payments for Super Bowl Sunday.

Impact on Municipal Services

The situation became more complex for municipal customers. The city of Palm Bay, Florida, reported that its online billing payment portal was inaccessible, and there was no estimated resolution date provided. As a result, residents were advised to pay utilities in person using cash, card, or check.

Ransomware’s Wider Reach

The trend of ransomware targeting central points within digital infrastructure has led to widespread disruptions. An attack on Salesforce in the previous year compromised over 1 billion customer records and affected more than 40 companies globally, from AirFrance to Walgreens.

Another recent extortion campaign targeted Oracle’s E-Business Suite, granting attackers access to payroll, finance, and HR databases of numerous organizations, including Mazda and Estee Lauder. These incidents highlight the risks associated with relying on centralized service providers.

The Importance of Cyber Resilience

These events emphasize the need for robust cyber resiliency strategies among retailers and independent payments networks. Tracy Goldberg, Director of Cybersecurity at Javelin Strategy & Research, noted that such entities often fail to address emerging risks comprehensively.

To enhance their resilience against potential attacks, organizations should invest more in proactive threat detection and prediction tools, leveraging cyberthreat and dark web intelligence for better preparedness.