Columbus City Council to Consider Investments in Cybersecurity After July Ransomware Attack
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced that the city’s Department of Technology will propose cybersecurity investments to the Columbus City Council on Monday. This move comes in response to a significant ransomware attack in July, which has prompted the city to authorize $7 million in funding, including $3 million in new funding, to cover the costs of the attack and prepare for future cyber threats.
The proposed budget includes more than $2.4 million for services aimed at limiting the extent of the cyber attack and addressing its aftermath. Additionally, $1.6 million will be allocated for Experian credit monitoring services, which the city offered to residents free of charge. Over $2 million will be dedicated to legal counsel and other expenses related to the attack.
Ginther emphasized that the budget does not include long-term investments necessary to further protect the city’s technology systems and data from the growing threat of cybercrime. He stated, “The safety of this community is my top priority, and we will purposefully and intentionally pursue those investments as they are needed.”
As of now, all of the city’s most critical IT systems have been restored, but officials are still working to get all systems completely back online. Specifically, 72% of the city’s 441 technology systems are fully restored, and another 5% are partially restored. The goal is to have all systems running at peak efficiency by the end of October.
Ginther also mentioned that future legislation will be introduced to cover anticipated legal expenses. The city faces several lawsuits from employees whose sensitive information was leaked during the attack. Furthermore, the city has sued to silence the whistleblower who exposed the fact that hundreds of thousands of private citizens’ information was online.
The city’s efforts to enhance cybersecurity are a proactive measure to prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure the continued safety and security of its residents and systems.
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