Ransomware Attack Prompting Change in City Council
MECKLENBURG COUNTY–Less than a week ago, Mecklenburg county was rocked by a data breach ransomware attack. Right now, the county is taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again, and other local government agencies are following suit.
Charlotte City Council members decided to delay a vote on a 10-year lease on a building that would house the city’s network and servers. One city council member saying the ransomware attack was a wake-up call, prompting reevaluation.
Just a click, sparking chaos in Mecklenburg County. As the county scrambles to get back to normal after a ransomware attack, Charlotte City councilman Tariq Bokhari says the city plans on taking steps to educate themselves. To make sure this doesn’t happen to them.
“We’ve made an effort to reach out to the city manager and several other staffers, when things settle down, we’d like to know exactly what the programs look like,” says councilman Bokhari.
Councilman Bokhari says the key moving forward is for local government entities to communicate and work together as teammates.
“This is all hands on deck, good guys versus bad guys. the good guys aren’t just the city versus the bad guys or the city or the school board, it’s all of us.”
He says proper education and training in situations like these can make all the difference.
“Literally anyone can be that weak link, and we have to make sure through training, awareness and testing, pen testing and things of that nature that employees know what to do and they follow it and do it.”
Which begs the question– how much information should the county have disclosed in the first place? That, councilman Bokhari says, prompts an age-old question.
“It’s a chicken or egg type conversation. do you go out and say it so we know how by it is or by saying it is it going out and promoting it more of a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
The county released a statement saying they worked nonstop during the weekend. The county says 16 applications are back online, but some systems are still trying to get their feet on the ground.
