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Louisiana Governor Declares State of Emergency After Ransomware Hits School Systems


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https://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews/2019/07/26/louisiana-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-after-ransomware-hits-school-systems/

Ransomware continues to menace public and private computer networks around the globe. This week an incident in Louisiana prompted a dramatic response from Governor John Bel Edwards.

On Wednesday, Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency after "severe, intentional security breaches" hit school computer systems in the Parishes of Oachita (City of Monroe School District), Morehouse and Sabine. Phone systems were reportedly also disrupted.

Officials believed that it was critical to respond to the ransomware attacks in a coordinated manner. The declaration will help, as it calls for assistance from just about every public body in the state. Cybersecurity experts from the state Office of Technology Services, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard,  and GOHSEP (Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness) and numerous other agencies and offices are already pitching in. The FBI has also been called in to aid in the investigation.

The task at hand isn't merely to remove the malware from infected systems in these school districts -- though that in itself may prove to be a lengthy and complicated process. A press release from the Governor's office says the aim is to "assist local governments in responding to and preventing future data loss."

Cyberattacks on schools have been steadily increasing. Several years ago those attacks were mostly limited to colleges and universities, but threat actors gradually expanded to target K-12 schools, too. In 2017 the Department of Education issued an official warning regarding ransomware attacks. (snip)

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