Kentucky cyber security leaders are compiling information from a simulated cyber attack in order to update plans in the event that a power grid goes down or sensitive data is stolen from businesses or state agencies.
The test cyber attack took place Oct. 12 with more than 50 leaders from utilities, police, business and government.
John Holiday is executive director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. He says one issue identified early in the test attack was information sharing.
"If an attack happens, how do we get that information to the decision-maker without screwing up the investigation, without giving too much information out there where the bad guy gets wise and he starts adjusting his protocol to damage the investigation?”
Holiday says since he became head of homeland security in February, there have been several cyber attacks on health care and other computer systems in Kentucky. Those attacks are under investigation.
Holiday says a continuing threat in Kentucky and across the nation is ransomware. That’s malicious software that blocks access to computer files until a ransom is paid.
"We’ve had several private sector organizations get hit with ransomware. To me, here’s the big problem. A lot of these private sector organizations, these businesses, a lot of times they will make business decisions to pay that ransomware.”
Holiday says that’s understandable, but there can better outcomes if business, government and other sectors of the state work together to obstruct the cyber criminals. He said the cases of ransomware in Kentucky are currently under investigation.
