Timeline, cost unclear as New Orleans works to restore computer network after cyberattack

[TexasTowelie]

By Jeff Adelson


The total cost of the cyberattack that brought down New Orleans' computer systems almost a week ago and how long it will take to bring them back online both remain unclear.

But city officials, who held a media briefing on the crisis late Thursday, said the price tag for the response is likely to be substantial. And despite dozens of volunteers onsite to assist in the recovery, only about a tenth of the city's computers have been repaired so far.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell told WWL-TV that she expected the cost of the attack would exceed the $3 million cyber insurance policy the city has in place, and that she will seek to increase the policy to $10 million next year. She did not discuss the insurance policy at the briefing.

"This is a very large task ahead of us," Cantrell said. "In terms of a dollar amount, that’s still really in the works as we determine the computers or equipment that will be pulled offline indefinitely."

Read more: https://www.nola.com/news/article_f4f6d0be-22a8-11ea-acd6-670063aa544f.html