Cyber attacks aren’t going anywhere
Published 6:00 pm Friday, March 13, 2020
The ever-evolving face of technology can bring about new and exciting advancements that enhance everyday life. Unfortunately, it also is a breeding ground for hackers looking to steal someone’s identity.
Some might think hackers are only looking to take advantage of individuals. Their impact can reach far beyond that, including Louisiana’s government agencies. Last fall, state government servers fell prey to a cyber attack.
Fighting off stealth hackers that want to infiltrate a state government server isn’t easy or cheap. Staffers are paid well to remove software from computers infected with ransomware.
Documents provided by the Division of Administration show that $2.3 million was spent on combating five situations over the past year. More than 70 percent of that amount was used to fight off a ransomware attack that severely impacted the state Office of Motor Vehicles.
School districts aren’t immune to these attacks, with seven being attacked last summer. The state spent more than $330,000 responding to them.
If the reach can hurt a state agency for weeks, imagine the damage it can do to an outdated local government server. That’s why computer systems should be up to date for all levels of government.
Just look at how outdated the state Office of Motor Vehicles system was. It’s currently updating a computer system that is more than four decades old.
Jay Dardenne, commissioner of administration, said the state eventually needs to set aside dollars for these critical updates. Doing so, he said, would ensure that agencies are as prepared as they can be for these attacks, if and when they happen.
It’s telling that Dardenne used the term “dark ages” last month when describing how out of date many state agency computer systems are. Personal computers are often considered outdated after a few years of use.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said last month that cyber attacks aren’t going anywhere. He’s right. As long as we have technological advancements, hackers aren’t far behind. In fact, they’re likely a step ahead.
State lawmakers have to acknowledge the enhancements, and risks, that come with online progression. It has become the norm. The time to update essential state agency computer systems is now.
