It’s been nearly two weeks since a ransomware attack shut down critical systems inside the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Steve’s Bail Bonds said it’s altered their workflow.
“Our work is definitely harder to accomplish,” said the manager of Steve’s, Amber Dennis.
Platforms used for bail and coordinating releases were impacted, and currently, Docket Master, where key court documents are posted, remains offline, leaving bail bonds in the dark.
“We can’t access charges, the charge codes, the bond amounts, the case number or the proper spelling of the name,” said Dennis.
In a statement, OPSO said: “Following last week’s ransomware cyberattack, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) is announcing that the DocketMaster system is currently down. Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure continuity of service, OPSO has developed a temporary workaround. Anyone needing information normally accessed through DocketMaster should call Jail Communications at (504) 202-9386 for assistance. OPSO’s IT team continues to work around the clock in coordination with state and local partners, including the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the City of New Orleans IT Department, and the Louisiana State Police Cybercrimes Unit, to restore operations. We want to reassure the public that jail security operations have not been affected by this outage. Additional updates will be shared with the public as soon as new information becomes available.”
“Everyone is a little frustrated,” said Dennis.
Cybersecurity expert Larry Lavallais said he’s seen incidents like this before, and from his experience, data could be on the dark web.
“It’s all accessible once your network is compromised,” said Lavallais.
According to Lavallais, ransomware groups exploit government systems, especially at the local level, which may have weak protections and outdated software.
“Antiquated pieces of equipment, servers, even newer pieces of equipment that aren’t protected appropriately,” said Lavallais.
He added that it’s common for hackers to post information and take ownership of what they’ve done, urging organizations to get cyber audits frequently.
“Specifically a huge company with a lot to lose,” said Lavallais.
As OPSO continues to work through the issue, those who rely on their systems are hoping for solid long-term fixes.
“It’s always good to have a way to do it that isn’t dependent, so there isn’t this chaos that comes with it being down,” said Dennis.
READ MORE:OPSO ransomware attack continues to impact bail bonds businesses
