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Louisiana Target of Attempted Ransomware Hack, Governor Says


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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said attackers targeted the state with ransomware that impacted certain state servers, forcing initiation of security protocols and interruption of online services to prevent further infection. The attempted intrusion occurred during the state's voting certification process, which cybersecurity experts called the kind of threat for which election administrators must prepare ahead of next year's U.S. presidential election.

Experts recommended an auditable paper trail of ballots as the best countermeasure, but Verified Voting, a nonprofit, warned that some jurisdictions in Louisiana and 10 other states lack a paper trail.

Ransomware attacks have grown in sophistication, while attacks against state and local governments have increased almost twofold this year, says cybersecurity company FireEye.

From Bloomberg
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