Laredo Texas suffered a cyber attack.
Category Archives: ransomware
Lege TREND. State Control over Local Government Cyber Security. Read the Bill.
Senate Bill 2110 (2019 | ND) would give a North Dakota state agency, Information Technology Department, the power to:
- “advise, oversee and regulate cybersecurity strategy” for:
- state agencies
- higher education
- cities
- counties
- school districts
What’s the state argument for a unified cybersecurity approach? the local govenrments and entities are connected at some point to a state network
Local government support? Yes, the North Dakota League of Cities supports the initiative because…
Lege TREND. Top Data Security State Legislation in 2019.
- California Privacy Act. Will other states replicate it? Is it the US solution for GDPR?
- Federal Preemption. Will Congress pass federal data breach notification standards?
- Data Privacy Requirements for Internet of Things. Privacy standards for your home thermostat, etc… See California’s SB 327 (2018)
- Will small businesses get a carve out bill? See S770 (115th Congress)
- Federal Preemption of Data Encryption Standards for Business
4 Reasons State Cybersecurity Laws Beat Federal Cybersecurity Laws.
- More attention at the state level. States have been targets of hackers and that fuels their regulatory structures
- Agility. States can respond more quickly legislatively
- More to Lose. States are closer to local level data breaches and are as impacted by local breaches
- Business Accountability State resources also support businesses that have been impacted by hackers
Baltimore Post Examiner | Why is State Cybersecurity better than Federal Cybersecurity?
Utility + Ransomware= Policy Makers Need to Know. Hello, Hurricane Legislation.
Which utility was hit with ransomware? Jacksonville, North Carolina-based Onslow Water and Sewer Authority
when was the ransomware triggered? middle of the night Saturday, “specifically targeted” the utility in the wake of Hurricane Florence
what was the impact of the ransomware?
- operating with limited computer capabilities
- overwheliming IT support
- accounts are being managed manually
- not interrupt water and wastewater service
Regulatory TREND. Keep Bitcoin Transaction Clean with Strong Money laundering laws.How. What. Where.
Where: CipherTrace’s 2018 Q3 Cryptocurrency Anti-Money Laundering Report says 4.7% of funds moved through unregulated bitcoin exchanges is being cleaned
How can it be stopped?
- strong money laundering laws
- bitcoin exchange regulation
Business Technology Media | Strong anti-money laundering laws hamper crypto-currency crime
Local TREND, Cities & Cybersecurity Insurance
Cities with mentioned cybersecurity insurance coverage:
- Houston, 3 policies covering $10 Million with a $471,400 premium
- Dallas
- San Antonio via existing property policy
- Ft. Worth, $5 million cyberpolicy with a $99,570 premium
- Atlanta
- Charlotte, N.C
- San Francisco has $50 million cyberpolicy for its public-health department
Cities actively looking at acquiring policies:
- Boston
- Nashville
- Washington, D.C.
- San Jose, CA
Self insured cities:
- Seattle
Local TREND. Ransomeware Cost Increase in Atlanta.
Atlanta officials are asking for an additional $9.5 million to recover from a ransomeware attack.
What do I need to know about Atlanta’s ransomware attack?
- Worst ransomware attack in US history
- More than 1/3 of the city’s 424 software programs were offline, fully or partially
- The $35 million budget for the technology department is not enough to recover
- The ransom was $51,000 worth of bitcoin
Reuters | Atlanta officials reveal worsening effects of cyber attack
LOCAL TREND. Is a ransomware attack subject to open records?
An Atlanta news station asked for public records related to Atlanta’s ransomware attack.
The city repsonse: No. Not going to happen.
Why is the city denying the open records request? ongoing investigation, ongoing security concerns
What do freedom of information experts say? The Freedom of Information Act does allow for exemptions during open investigations
CBS 46 | Atlanta officials deny requests for records amid cyber attack
Local Procurement TREND. Cost Saving. Outsourcing Cybersecurity.
In lieu of hiring cyber security employees, local governments are using third party software and hardware to bolster cybersecurity.
What short hand do I need to know for this technology?
- It is “machine learning and AI”
- It can detect cyber threats rapidly
- it allows for large-scale behavioral detection
State Tech | Cities and Counties Turn to Machine Learning to Bolster Cybersecurity