A recent report from the Star Tribune confirms that the cyberattack on the city of North St. Paul was caused by a phishing email. This low-tech yet high-impact tactic continues to pose serious risks to both public and private organizations. (Source)
This case reinforces a troubling reality: despite years of investment in traditional cybersecurity tools focused on detection and response, many attackers still gain access with nothing more than a deceptive email. When a user clicks on the wrong link or opens a malicious attachment, the damage can be immediate and far-reaching.
A Familiar Pattern
City officials stated that the attack began when a staff member responded to a phishing email, which gave attackers access to internal systems. As a result, several departments were forced offline, and the city experienced significant service disruptions over multiple days.
These events not only delay daily operations, they also impact public confidence, increase recovery costs, and often involve the exposure of sensitive data. In North St. Paul's case, an investigation is still underway to determine the full extent of the breach.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Similar attacks are affecting municipalities, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and small businesses across the country. The common thread is clear: attackers are exploiting human error faster than conventional tools can respond.
The Problem with Detect and Respond
The cybersecurity industry has long relied on a detect and respond model. This approach depends on the system’s ability to recognize threats and respond in time to prevent damage.
But there is a fundamental flaw. Detection takes time, and attackers know it. In the critical moments after a user clicks a link or opens a malicious file, attackers can begin stealing data, installing ransomware, or creating backdoor access to critical systems.
In many cases, by the time an alert is generated or a response is triggered, the harm is already done. Detection-based tools are also limited by their reliance on signatures or behavioral models, which can miss advanced or novel threats.
A Smarter Solution: AppGuard
AppGuard provides a fundamentally different kind of protection. It does not rely on detection or threat recognition to stop an attack. Instead, it focuses on preventing the execution of malicious activity at the endpoint level.
With over 10 years of proven success, AppGuard uses patented technology that isolates applications like email clients and web browsers and contains any potentially harmful behavior. Even if a user clicks a phishing link or downloads a malicious file, AppGuard prevents the malware from launching or making unauthorized changes to the system.
This approach is known as Isolation and Containment. It blocks the damage from ever occurring, without needing to know in advance what the threat looks like.
For businesses, this means no more scrambling after a breach. No more alerts that come too late. AppGuard quietly protects your systems by ensuring that malicious code cannot execute in the first place.
Why This Matters for Business Owners
Although this specific incident happened in a city government, it is a wake-up call for every business. Phishing emails are the top entry point for ransomware, credential theft, and other forms of cyberattack. Small and mid-sized businesses are especially vulnerable because they often lack specialized security resources.
Just one email can result in:
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Data loss or theft
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Regulatory penalties
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Business disruption
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Reputational harm
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Costly forensic and recovery work
Traditional tools that focus on detection cannot keep up with the speed of modern threats. Businesses need protection that works in real time and does not rely on identifying what is malicious.
Talk to CHIPS About True Prevention
At CHIPS, we help businesses move beyond detect and respond strategies. We believe the future of cybersecurity lies in Isolation and Containment.
AppGuard delivers exactly that. It protects endpoints by blocking the execution of unauthorized activity before it starts. With AppGuard, you gain peace of mind knowing that phishing emails, ransomware, and even unknown zero-day threats are stopped in their tracks.
If you are ready to protect your business before damage occurs, let’s have a conversation.
Contact CHIPS today to learn how AppGuard can prevent incidents like the one in North St. Paul from ever taking root.
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