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ITD takes steps to minimize cyber security threats

In recent years, the Idaho Transportation Department has continually sought to safeguard the department against threats amid concerns over network vulnerability. Those concerns were only intensified recently by a case involving computer hacking at a Los Angeles college during the holidays.

Hackers crippled the campus email system in late December using malware to plant viruses in the system. Unable to stop the spreading, officials at the college decided to pay the ransom, which amounted to about $28,000 in bitcoins.

ITD Cyber Security teams continue to monitor the department's IT systems for signs of hacking, and have been successful in shutting down potential threats so far. However, Chief Information Officer Chris Victory said we all play a vital role.

"The single best defense we have is the security training we have for all of our employees. The majority of security breaches occur due to the human element, and this training is important in educating our workforce on the latest information to protect ITD."

Victory said that there is an effort at the state level to get Cyber Security Insurance in place, with 2017 being an opt-in year and 2018 being mandatory.

He als said that with the start of the new year, a new round of Cyber Security training is available for all ITD employees via the Training Hub and should be taken as soon as possible.

According to a recent article in The Week, corporations are being targeted for ransoms, and more than half of those polled paid a ransom of over $20,000. More than 20 percent of them report paying a ransom of more than $40,000. The article went on to say that businesses are much more willing to pay because of the impact to business operations, and those payments are fueling the rise in that type of crime.