July 26, 2019 | From City of New Orleans
City of New Orleans Monitoring Cyberattack Incidents in Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans is monitoring a confirmed cyberattack affecting three school districts in Louisiana this week. While no local attacks have been detected at this time and the City of New Orleans’ information systems remain intact, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP), along with Information Technology and Innovation (ITI), is monitoring the situation and is in close contact with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level.
“This is today’s reality,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We have to take the cyber threat seriously and we need to continue to protect our information infrastructure, upon which our operations are increasingly dependent. Maintaining our infrastructure means paying attention to this issue. I’m urging all residents, organizations, and businesses to review their cyber security protocols and to remain vigilant.”
Earlier this week, three school districts in the state reported confirmed cyberattacks against their information systems. Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a Louisiana-wide State of Emergency, making resources available to impacted schools.
“There are no indications that attacks have occurred in New Orleans,” said NOHSEP Director Collin Arnold. “We remain in close contact with local schools, universities, and government agencies and are working with our state and federal partners to continue to monitor the threat.”
The City of New Orleans Department of Information, Technology, and Innovation (ITI) has measures in place to protect the City’s information infrastructure: the email and internet security systems are constantly monitored and upgraded as necessary; all City employees are required to complete annual cybersecurity training; and earlier this week, all employees were reminded of cybersecurity tips and provided with additional educational resources. Additional training will be provided in October during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
“Cybersecurity is our top priority,” said ITI Director Kimberly LaGrue. “ITI will continue to harden our infrastructure against cyber threats, monitor the global cyber landscape, and train our employees on security measures.”
“NOLA Public Schools has been alerted to the cyberattack on a few Louisiana school systems. However, thankfully we have not been affected or targeted by these recent attacks in Orleans Parish. We continue to monitor for any suspicious activity. I appreciate Gov. John Bel Edwards’ swift actions in declaring a state of emergency in light of these cybersecurity breaches, making state resources available while allowing local governments to receive assistance from cybersecurity experts from the Louisiana National Guard, Louisiana State Police and the Office of Technology Services,” said NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.
Residents, organizations, and businesses are encouraged to review cybersecurity protocols. Basic tips are listed below and more information is available at ready.nola.gov/cyber.
- Use antivirus solutions and firewalls to block threats. Keep your anti-virus software updated.
- Use strong passwords that are 12 characters or longer. Use upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Change passwords monthly. Use a password manager.
- Use a stronger authentication. Use a PIN or password that only you would know.
- Think before you click. Watch for suspicious activity that asks you to do something right away, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or needs your personal information.
- Check your account statements and credit reports regularly.
- Use secure internet communications. Use sites that use “HTTPS” if you will access or provide any personal information. Don’t use sites with invalid certificates.
- Back up your files. Regularly back up your files in an encrypted file or encrypted file storage device.
- Limit the personal information you share online. Change privacy settings and do not use location features.
- Protect your home network. Change the administrative and Wi-Fi passwords regularly. When configuring your router, choose the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) setting, which is the strongest encryption option.
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