Where’s the state at with cybersecurity?

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - For the past four years, cyber-attacks have seemed to be occurring nonstop, specifically when it comes to getting between you and your money.

“I think you have seen quite a bit of proliferation of ransomware type of attacks because they’re relatively easy to accomplish and they’ve got a pretty clear goal which is making money,” said Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Casey Tingle.

Tingle said Louisiana’s ability to investigate and find those types of illegal activities leads them to finding more cyber-attacks, adding the problem does not appear to be focused on state agencies over schools or vice versa. Instead, he said it is broad. Tingle admits it has been a constant effort to get ahead of the problem.

“Yea, I think that’s a pretty accurate way of putting it, we’re not ahead of the 8-ball. They need to be right one time; we need to be right every time,” Tingle added.

Last year Louisiana spent upward of 20 million on cybersecurity safety measures, nearly nine times what we spent only three years prior. Tingle said in order to get to a point where the state is proactive instead of reactive, more money will likely need to be spent each year. But it does not stop there. Republican State Representative Jerome Zeringue, who helped craft the state’s budget, said the state collectively allocated over $53 million to go toward the Cyber Assurance Program.

After the recent hack at the Office of Motor Vehicles, the state offered anyone with a la license to cover the cost if they chose a Life-Lock policy. Tingle said the amount that will cost depends on how many of you sign up. If you would like to sign up, click here.

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