CYBERSECURITY: DHS Needs to Enhance Efforts to Improve and Promote the Security of Federal and Private-Sector Networks GAO-18-520T: Published: Apr 24, 2018. Publicly Released: Apr 24, 2018. VIEW REPORT (PDF, 22 PAGES) What GAO Found In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acted to improve and promote the cybersecurity of federal and private-sector…
Category: Government Sector
Atlanta spent at least $2.6 million on ransomware recovery
Zack Whittaker reports: Atlanta spent more than $2.6 million on recovery efforts stemming from a ransomware attack, which crippled a sizable part of the city’s online services. The city was hit by the notorious SamSam ransomware, which exploits a deserialization vulnerability in Java-based servers. The ransom was set at around $55,000 worth of bitcoin, a…
Prince Edward Island government website hit by ransomware attack
Ryan Ross reports: The P.E.I. government’s website appears to have been the victim of a ransomware attack. Visitors to some pages on the website this morning were met with a screen that said “Oops, your website have been encrypted!” The page warned that files on the website were encrypted and no longer accessible. Read more…
Edison cop used police database to stalk ex, prosecutor says
NJ 101.5 reports: A cop who was charged with slashing his ex-girlfriend’s tires is now facing more serious charges. Paul Pappas has now been charged with computer theft and stalking after investigators say he made unauthorized inquiries into the New Jersey Criminal Justice Information System in order to stalk his ex-girlfriend. The inquiries by Pappas started in August…
What led to Nova Scotia’s privacy breach
CBC News has an update to a government leak incident noted previously on this site. This is a case where the government’s response to their security failure was to criminalize the behavior of the teen who downloaded what were freely available reports. When the public went up in arms over the government’s attempt to cast him…
Illinois incorrectly mailed out personal information to more than 4,000 people
Bill Lukitsch reports: Personal financial and medical information of more than 4,000 people was mailed to the wrong addresses earlier this year, two state agencies announced Friday. “Notices containing personal information were mailed to 4,136 individuals at incorrect addresses,” a news release from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and Department of Human…