This past weekend, a ransomware attack hit the U.K.'s Bristol Airport, increasing the stress and inconvenience of travelers trying to reach their destinations, forcing front-line staff to resort to manual, pen-and-paper systems while the airport’s IT team labored to contain the attack. An undisclosed ransomware strain hit Friday morning and took systems down through Saturday and into Sunday. While the cyberattack on Bristol targeted its administrative systems, the airport opted to take several vulnerable systems offline as a precautionary measure – including public-facing flight arrival and departure information monitors. As a result, airline staff had to update passengers via whiteboards and frequent public address announcements. The attack illustrates how the transportation industry and municipalities need to increasingly consider the risks of cyberattacks as connected vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and other technologies become integral to our transportation infrastructure.

New technologies have changed the way that people interact with the world around them. As the first generation of digital natives, Millennials are the most agile in responding to these changes. But why is this always-connected generation so connected to technology and – more importantly – how do they feel about the digital worlds they spend so much time in?

When Acronis True Image 2017 New Generation was introduced in January 2017, it marked a new level in data protection as the first backup product to deliver effective behavior-based protection from ransomware. Later that same year, with the release of Acronis True Image 2018, we enhanced our Acronis Active Protection set of technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver an additional layer of security to an already effective and award-winning anti-ransomware defense.  With the newly released Acronis True Image 2019, we’re bringing even more enhancements to our data security and anti-ransomware technologies, making the product even more secure and user-friendly.

Acronis joined the Anti-Malware Testing Standard Organization (AMTSO) earlier this year to ensure its solutions adhere to the highest standards of security and help shape the evaluation criteria of future technologies. Acronis is happy to take part in establishing these protocols and procedures for the next generation of cyber protection and to help improve security testing practices overall within the industry. One important step towards this collaboration was to approve and adopt AMTSO’s Testing Protocol Standard, a process that demanded years of development, trials, and consultation before final approval. It was finally adopted at the end of May, marking a major step for the industry. Here’s why it matters.