Name: Rocky Mount officials address cyber attack
Uploaded: 2020-09-02T09:27:00-0400
Duration: 1043755
Description: Rocky Mount city officials hold a press conference to provide answers about a cyber attack that shut down the city's computer system.

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Rocky Mount city officials hold a press conference to provide answers about a cyber attack that shut down the city's computer system. 

watched an investigation. We appreciate your interest in this matter and the assistance you have provided to keep our community up to date. For the past several weeks, we have kept you informed via pressure releases, the city's website and social media outlets. We understand that you have additional questions and as we said, we will provide you relevant updates as additional information became available and that is what we're going to do today. I am pleased to report there are online bill payment system is operational and think our customers for their patience and understanding. During the disruption, the technologist staff determined files were encrypted, which is symptomatic of a cyber attack. In other words, the city Waas, a victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack that involved the encryption of certain files on the city's network. I would turn things over So the mayor so he can explain. Thank you, Madam Manager, and thank you all for attending. You know, the city takes this incident and information security very, very, very seriously. A team of experts was immediately engaged to investigate assist in restoring the network and instant response team was assembled once the calls was determined to be Ransomware, I think is significant and important to know that we back up our data on a consistent in nightly basis. And so the restoration of the system was just part of the challenge. We were able to do that fairly quickly. However, the group responsible for this incident demanded that the city pay a ransom. Which city refused to do so, and that was after consultation with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. The instant response team is still active and consists of forensic professionals, infrastructure recovery experts in a breach coach in addition to our own city staff, law enforcement federal state officials were notified, and they continue to provide guidance in this matter. The team is still actively engaged in our response and recovery efforts. Now, for a 16 provided investigative analysis to us on August 27th, 2020 from the analysis, the city was unable to confirm the type of information potentially at risk. So in an abundance of caution, the city is providing information regarding steps individuals can take to protect their information from potential fraud or misuse, See is engaged. A third party call center to assist with handling calls on this Nature City is offering free credit monitoring for potentially impacted customers, vendors and employees. After this press conference will receive a press release regarding those actions which will be posted on Sea's website along with the media and substitute notice. This time, I like to ask better Manager come and continue with the press conference. Thank you, sir. At this time, I would like to call on Amy Stayton, the city's finance director. Toe walk you through the chain of events. Good morning. The remediation began immediately on August the 14th. What steps to protect the network in points and removing the malware forensics data was captured and analyzed as components of the network were restored. The city maintains data backups. As the mayor mentioned, the data backups are applied once the infrastructure is determined to be secure and operational. With the systems tested prior to releasing for use. Components of the network have safely been restored gradually since August, the 14th at this time, 95% of the network is restored, 80% of business public applications or operational. Some city employees have computers that are encrypted and they cannot be restored. In those instances, computers have been ordered and we're in the process of deploying new computers. We estimate that 100% of the network and applications will be operational by the end of this week. The city continues to have 24 hour security monitoring of its network and parallel with restoring the systems the city is reviewing and implementing additional policies, procedures and security safeguards for a network. I'll call in the city manager. Thank you for stating at this time I would like to call on Chief George Robinson to update you on the law enforcement actions. Good morning. I am Chief George Robinson. The safety and well being of Ice Citizens is the top priority of the rocking out. Police depart intrusions. Ransomware and other cyber incidents have become a significant threat to US businesses, government, public services, schools and individuals. So this incident is not unique. Has to make Mega told you. The group responsible for this incident demanded to see to pay a ransom. I wish to see the refused to do so after consultation with law enforcement, including the FBI. All off was agencies including local, state and federal do not recommend paying ransoms as we know these individuals and organisations attacking systems are criminals, and there is no guarantee that they will honor any term negotiated. The police Department continues to work with state and federal partners in an attempt to identify who is responsible as a general. Prays to see thee. Encourages individuals to frequently reset online account passwords to use complex past password combinations and not to sell passwords or use identical passwords for multiple online accounts. I don't see. The investigation has not confirmed that online account passwords were impacted by this event. This city encourages individuals to reset any online account password. Four counts, associate it with the city or all, and accounts assist while on the city's network or computer devices. Thank you. At this time, we would like to entertain any questions that you might have where questions rolled up into that one. But so we detected a problem early morning. All this the 14 it was detected in the city is now more one system. But in terms of how quickly it spread, I'm going ask Amy to go into a little bit more detail about just to confirm Yes, it we had a call from police personnel with not being able to access the network. They quickly called our technology team, who confirmed that fouls that they could not access the systems as well. And this particular virus generally spread very quickly within seconds within three seconds of someone signing on it can encrypt their their computer. The city does have backup systems, and the backups were good. Um, we could not apply the backups. And until the infrastructure of the network was secured, age is not a factor. Most of our systems are fairly current. Um, the police system in particular, was just upgraded recently. This year, different systems have different age on them, but they are current, and the applications are upgraded to be current supported versions. The this is a Conte rent somewhere. I don't know specifically who the Threat actor is. They were demanding Bitcoin payment in return for a tool that would decrypt the encrypted files in any data that they may have taken. But we cannot determine what data they have taken. We don't have any indication that the city was specifically a target. That position is currently vacant, so the chief technology officer is a position that was created a leave back several years ago. It certainly has been a challenge being able to fill that position. And ironically, we do have a candidate of finalists. Uh, as of today, a couple days ago. So, uh, pendant, their background investigation coming back in a positive way, I should be able to announce the appointment of a chief technology officer for the city. You asked whether or not we were specifically targeted. And I think what's important to note is that in this environment, computer hacking and systems hacking is something that's ongoing. In fact, we're seeing a lot great deal of it. I've been personally impacted through a number of companies that I have owned in the past, and it's not a fun process to go through. I think it is safe to say that in this particular case, you know, all the right protocols are in place in terms of having the data to able to back up back on line. What was significant, maybe a little bit different is that because our servers are located on side, it's hard to switch to a virtual server system mid gear to remake that restoration. So I think that again, we've done everything that we could dio my personal experience, and I believe that cyber hacks will continue to continue to be a part of it. I went out many, many, many. Ghani's target wells and many others have been targeted in the past and a lot of the information that is at risk. It's currently available out there on the Web as it ISS. But still, I think that's also very important to know that the city has taken every precaution as it relates to its current residents to make sure that the end, their vendors and our employees have additional monitoring and can feel like they have the assurance that things will go on as as it should. I think safe to say that we're gonna go to restore the system and Amy comprise speak more intelligently on this particular matter. Um, we do have a great team of forensic guys have gone in there scrubbing the system as it works, and this is different than a virus protection where they're able to go and see taxi where they came from, try to be able to track it, trace it back on. That's the part that continues to be an ongoing investigation don't think we probably speak too much to that. But let's just suffice it to say that I believe that we have a great team in place. That team will continue to monitor and help us to improve our current delivery as a relation. R T services and Amy may have something we'll be able to restore 100% of our servers. We will not need to replace any of them. All of them can be restored. All of the data can be restored and is good. The only thing that would need to be replaced our individual computers that are encrypted and cannot be restored. And that represents about 15% of the computers at the city. Personal computers on the desktops Those are stationary, stationary desktops and laptops. Those air the endpoints, not the servers. Those would be replaced. Not at this time. Not at this time. The forensics is still own going. We should be getting additional data on that, but we do not have any confirmation at this time here. Also, just add that an anticipation that that kind of information was released or compromise. The city does have a call soon number that citizens can certainly access to assist them with any problems that they feel that they have encountered as a result of this and that Carlson actually opened yesterday. And so we are prepared to assist our citizens with any difficulty that they feel that we need to be aware of and to also help them, you know, with their own personal data. Any other questions? Actually, the online payment system is also up and operational. And again, I do want to stress how much we appreciate our customers patients in this, a zit already been stated. Unfortunately, this is a part of the world in which we live. And this isn't the first time on organization or business or company or industry has been faced with such difficulty. Um, as has already been said, it's not a very pleasant process to go through, but unfortunately it isn't. It is unnecessary, you know, one out. If not well, we certainly thank you for your time. And, uh, we hope to bring this back 100% within the next couple of days. As the City of Finance director indicated on thank you again for your time

Rocky Mount officials address cyber attack 

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I'm meteorologist K Campbell in the wr severe weather center. Here's your weekend forecast looks pretty good. On Saturday, there is a small chance for rain. That would be first thing very early in the morning in our northern counties. The rest of the day looks pretty good, partly cloudy, mid to perhaps upper seventies. By Sunday, it's much cooler. Highs struggle to get into the sixties even. It's a cloudy day and we've got some scattered showers in the forecast Sunday, but we're on the stable side of the front. So we're not severe weather on Sunday and we really could use some rain. We'll get to that in a minute. Let's talk about your Saturday planner because that's going to be the day to be outside 63 at 8 a.m. by noon, 71 and will be in the mid to upper seventies during the afternoon. Still in the low to mid seventies by dinner time. Future cash shows pretty quiet, start to the day. Perhaps a few showers in our northern counties and cloud cover to start, but those clouds clear and we'll see more sunshine later on before we cloud back overnight into Sunday morning. Scattered showers are possible throughout the first part of the day, Sunday and then we'll see a band of steadier rain make its way in as we head into Sunday evening and perhaps Sunday night as well. Early on, we need any rain, we can get the drought monitor showing an expanded region for abnormally dry and yellow. That's the morning stage before you reach drought status. So we really need some rain to prevent drought from developing as we head into the month of May. The system that's bringing our rain chances for your Friday night is this area of low pressure along with a cold front draped to the south. That cold front is going to knock temperatures down as well. We're down to 46 degrees on Monday morning, 44 we had to lower the low Tuesday morning because there's not likely to be as much cloud cover and that's going to allow temperatures to fall even further. But for the weekend morning will wake up to temperatures near 60 Saturday morning and in the lower fifties again on Sunday morning. If you are running the Tar Heel 10 miler, we got some pretty nice weather for it. A 20% chance for rain for early on. Otherwise temperatures will be in the low to mid 60 s. Looks like some pretty good running weather for us. Looking ahead to next week, we're still on the cooler side start 66. But Monday trending more sunshine And then as we get into Tuesday, Wednesday, we're likely to be back in the seventies, Wednesday. We've got a cold front coming the way it looks now. Only a small 20% chance for rain with the front, but it is going to knock temperatures down again. Not as dramatic but low temperatures could be back in the upper forties with highs in the upper sixties to lower seventies toward the end of next week.

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After 22 years in business, Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed.



WE HAVE MORE RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND. I'LL SHOW YOU COMING UP. THE LIST OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH BUSINESSES SHUTTING THEIR DOORS IS ARMADILLO GRILL IS THE LATEST TO CLOSE FOR GOOD. >> WRAL'S SEAN GALLAGHER IS IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH TO FIND OUT WITH THIS MEANS FOR THE GLENN WOOD, SOUTH AREA. SEAN, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF FOLKS. >> YEAH, THIS WAS VERY ABRUPT SO ABRUPT THAT WE'VE SEEN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE COMING UP HERE TRYING TO GET LUNCH ON THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY'RE MET WITH THIS SIGN ON THE DOOR, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AT THIS LOCATION. NOW, THIS TEX MEX RESTAURANT CALL THE CORNER OF GLENWOOD AVENUE AND TUCKER STREET HOME FOR THE LAST. 22 YEARS. IN A FACEBOOK POST, THE OWNERS SAY CHANGES IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND RISING COSTS ARE WHY THEY'RE SHUTTING DOWN THIS LOCATION. IT'S THE LATEST IN A STRING OF STAPLE BUSINESSES RALLY, CLOSING CLOUDS BREWING, SHUT DOWN ITS RALEIGH TAVERN ON WEST STREET EARLIER THIS MONTH IN THE CAPITAL CLUB. 16 IS SHUTTING DOWN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. OUR BELOVED REAL SAID THEY WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION TO SERVE THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY. BUT FOR SHARE MCCRACKEN OF GARDEN SCAPE DESIGNER FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THIS AREA. THIS IS JUST A SIGN OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. >> IT'S ELEVATING RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF ROLL WITH IT. NATURALLY COMING TO AN END AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SPOT THAT'S PERFECT FOR THEM. BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THERE IS A CHANGE GOING ON ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. >> AN ARMADILLO GRILL WILL ARE STILL OFFER THEIR CATERING SERVICES HERE AND THEY WILL STILL OPERATE THEIR FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN CARRBORO. BUT RENEE, THAT'S ABOUT 40 MINUTES AWAY RIGHT NEAR UNC CAMPUS. >> WHILE CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO DRIVE A LOT FARTHER AND WE WILL SEE WHAT ENDS UP TAKING ITS PLACE. THERE ON GLENWOOD

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Rocky Mount officials address cyber attack

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Rocky Mount officials address cyber attack

Sandy Roberson, mayor of Rocky Mount, said that there is no indication that the city was targeted by this hack.

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