Orleans Parish Communications District says no apparent effects from cyberattack – New Orleans CityBusiness

The Orleans Parish Communications District, the office that runs New Orleans’ 9-1-1 operations,  said it hasn’t had any apparent effects from a recent cyberattack on several Louisiana school systems and government agencies.

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday declared an emergency and activated the state’s cyber-incident response plan after thieves injected malware in the systems of Sabine and Morehouse parishes and the City of Monroe. The declaration makes state resources available as well as assistance from cybersecurity experts to assist governments.

In a news release Friday, the OPCD executive director Tyrell Morris said the office has begun taking “protective measures to ensure the integrity of 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 services.”

“Our suggestions to the citizens of New Orleans is the same as we are giving to the staff at OPCD,” Morris said. “Be aware of this threat, and in doing so, do not open emails from strangers, download attachments you are not expecting or click on links that you are not 100% certain of their destination or intent. Incidents like this simply prove that government entities must have the needed resources to protect our infrastructure and constantly remain innovative and vigilant to ensure continuity of services”.

LSU’s applied research affiliate, the Stephenson Technologies Corporation, said Friday it’s working with state agencies to respond to cyberattacks in the other parishes.

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