Recent ransomware attacks that disrupted city and county governments in Colorado, Georgia, Missouri and Pennsylvania highlight a worrisome trend of threats targeting public-sector organizations. Several new surveys note a sharp rise in attacks against federal, state and municipal agencies, school districts, and other public-sector organizations.

A low-tech social engineering scam has created high-stakes consequences for MGM Resorts International. A September “vishing” attack cost the Las Vegas casino giant about $100 million, according to the company’s recently filed disclosure with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Growing numbers of artificial intelligence-based threats are expected to create unprecedented challenges for most organizations in the coming year. The FBI recently warned that businesses, governments and individuals should anticipate “alarming” increases in AI-powered threats over the coming months.

There may be no use crying over spilled milk, but spilled data is another matter. When sensitive information inadvertently trickles out of networks or cloud platforms, it’s enough to bring tears to the eyes of executives, board members and IT leaders.