[BreachExchange] Louisiana governor declares state emergency after local ransomware outbreak

[Destry Winant]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/louisiana-governor-declares-state-emergency-after-local-ransomware-outbreak/

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has activated a state-wide state
of emergency in response to a wave of ransomware infections that have
hit multple school districts.

The ransomware infections took place this week and have impacted the
school districts of three North Louisiana parishes -- Sabine,
Morehouse, and Ouachita.

IT networks are down at all three school districts, and files have
been encrypted and are inaccessible, local media outlets are
reporting.

This is the second time that a state governor has activated a state
emergency due to ransomware or any form of cyber-attack. The first
time was in Colorado in February 2018, when the Colorado Department of
Transportation was forced to shut down operations because of an
infection with the SamSam ransomware. However, that state emergency
activated additional state resources to help with traffic, road
management, and transportation, and not with deploying cyber-security
experts to help victims, like in Louisiana's case.

By signing the Emergency Declaration, the Louisiana governor is making
available state resources to impacted schools.

This includes assistance from cybersecurity experts from the Louisiana
National Guard, Louisiana State Police, the Office of Technology
Services, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness (GOHSEP), and others.

State officials hope that additional IT expertise will speed up the
recovery process so schools can resume their activity and preparations
for the upcoming school year.

Gov. Edwards was able to roll out a coordinated response for the
ransomware infections at schools in the North Louisiana because he
previously established a Cybersecurity Commission to assemble and
coordinate response teams in the event of a cyber-attack.

He created this commission in December 2017, in the year when three
ransomware outbreaks -- namely WannaCry, NotPetya, and Bad Rabbit --
had caused havoc across the globe, including in Louisiana.

"This is exactly why we established the Cyber Security Commission,
focused on preparing for, responding to and preventing cybersecurity
attacks, and we are well-positioned to assist local governments as
they battle this current threat," Gov. Edwards said.

The state of emergency will remain in place until August 21, or until
the recovery process at impacted school districts wraps up.

Gulf Coast neighbor Florida could have used a state of emergency
declaration last month, as well, after three municipalities were hit
by ransomware -- Riviera Beach (paid $600,000); Lake City (paid
$500,000); and Key Biscayne (recovered from backups).

In recent months, US cities have been a prime target for ransomware
gangs. Earlier today, some residents of Johannesburg, South Africa's
biggest city and financial capital, have been left without electricity
after a ransomware infection.