Ransomware attacks have become a significant threat to state and local governments in the U.S., costing over $18.9 billion in 2020 alone, and there is a collective responsibility involving government agencies, the private sector, and individuals to combat this issue. Elastic advocates for a proactive security strategy, emphasizing two key techniques: canary-based detections and searchable snapshots. Canary-based detection involves placing hidden files in key system locations to provide early warnings for ransomware tampering, thereby preventing attacks from spreading to data centers. This method, included in Elastic Security's 7.14 release, complements other protective measures like behavioral ransomware and anti-malware protections. Meanwhile, searchable snapshots allow agencies to retain and instantly access large volumes of historical data, enabling the detection of anomalies and malicious activity by comparing past and current data without the need for costly data rehydration. This feature supports a defense-in-depth strategy, crucial for combating increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and provides an effective and affordable security solution for state and local governments seeking to enhance their cybersecurity posture.