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Hacking Of Government Websites In Idaho Raises Concerns About Cyber Security

Vadim Ghirda
/
AP
Razvan Muresan, a Bitdefender public relations specialist is backdropped by a screenshot of the message displayed on computers affected by the latest cyberattack, in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

 

Idaho State Treasurer Ron Crane and Ohio Gov. John Kasich were just a couple of the many government websites hacked Sunday by a message containing the phrase “I love the Islamic State.” These hackings are being called defacements, or “internet graffiti," and no data was compromised.

 

 

A spokesperson for Crane says a permanent solution to the hacking is being pursued and should be in place by the end of the week.

 

 

Tom Hoyte, a representative for Ohio Governor John Kasich, says efforts are underway to investigate state website systems and determine how they were infiltrated. Hoyte says this recent attack should act as a reminder that cyber security is something that should be more in focus.

 

Hackers pose a threat to government, businesses and individuals. Cyber security continues to be a source of concern, especially with the recent global ransomware incidents, such as WannaCry and Petya. Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little is concerned with the future of these hacking incidents.

 

"Ransomware worldwide is a half a trillion dollar industry. There’s too big of a motivator for bad guys and bad countries to do stuff, that they’re just gonna keep trying," he says.

 

Cyber security is an active issue that changes daily as hackers constantly find new ways to outsmart computer systems. Because of this, no real permanent solution to cyber attacks has been worked out.

 

'It’s not like they’re trying to break into that building, it’s what they’re doing at a keyboard that puts you at risk. So, this thing is never going to go away and I think it’s going to get logarithmically worse," Little says.

 

Little is a realist when it comes to cyber threats, but he still maintains some optimism.

 

"I think at the same time, the people that write the big software programs: Adobe, Windows, Java, that they’ll continue as they are today to make their systems to where they’re safer," he says.

 

With private information in jeopardy on the Internet, Little says some operations may decide to begin putting such information elsewhere.

"In some instances, we will probably have data that will not be accessible to the Internet. We will still use technology, but we will view technology through a different lens to make sure the security is high there," he says.

 

A few weeks ago, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter announced his appointment of U.S. Air Force information technology veteran Jeffery Weak to be the new director of Idaho’s first information security department. Weak will enforce statewide cyber security policies in hopes of preventing incidents such as this one.

 

For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915

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