Louisiana delcares state of emergency amid ransomware attacks

Louisiana declared a state of emergency after ransomware attacks struck various schools in the Bayou state this month.

The state took the unusual step after schools in Sabine Parish, Ouachita Parish and Morehouse Parish in the northern part of Louisiana were hit with ransomware.

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts important files such as documents, often as well as operating system files needed for computers to run. The malware then provides instructions on how the victim can pay for a decryption key in order to get those encrypted files decrypted. More often than not, a decryption key is the only way a victim can recover lost files.

It is not yet know which variant of ransomware is responsible or how much data has been lost or can be recovered with backups.

The declaration of a state of emergency means the state can access certain resources, namely experts. Experts can be made available from the Louisiana National Guard, as well as police, Office of Technology Services and experts from the private sector who can work together to prevent data loss, clean up infected machines and ultimately see if lost files can be recovered without having to pay a ransom.

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A principal from one of the affected schools, Eddie Jones, has said he has seen 17 years’ worth of personal documents encrypted.

The declaration also activated the emergency functions of the Cybersecurity Commission in Louisiana, which in itself is a demonstration as to how states are preparing for such types of online attacks.

The incident reflects a growing problem. Increasingly, its businesses or publicly owned entities such as school districts, governmental agencies, city councils and police departments that find themselves the victim of ransomware, be it either through cleverly orchestrated targeted attacks, security unconscious employees or both.

It also reflects the fact that such entities are failing to complete satisfactory backups so when ransomware attacks do happen (and it does seem to be a matter of when, and not if) then once the malware is removed, all files and functionality can be restored without any need to consider paying a ransom or accepting many years’ worth of data loss.