This state and local government overview emphasizes ransomware prevention and operational uptime by focusing on risk management basics, since phishing emails are a common entry point. It recommends regular employee security awareness training with phishing exercises, having an incident response plan and team ready to contain damage, and keeping software patching current with compensating controls where patching is not possible. It highlights the high cost of ransomware downtime, citing $140K to $540K per hour and an average of $540K (Gartner), and notes the rising average cost of data breaches from $3.86M in 2020 to $4.24M in 2021 (IBM/Ponemon). The overview also promotes XDR delivered via a US-based 24x7x365 SOC and Purple Team penetration testing to identify and close defense gaps.

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