Nevada OKs cybersecurity initiatives following ransomware attack

Nevada Chief Information Officer Timothy Galluzi received approval from state lawmakers to spend $300,000 on new cybersecurity initiatives following a major ransomware attack in August, which was noted by Gov. Joe Lombardo to have led to a surge in attempted cyber intrusions against the state, according to StateScoop.

Such projects will expand the state's threat analysis program and bolster efforts to establish a statewide security operations center, said Galluzi. Galluzi also noted an ongoing probe into the August ransomware attack, while stating that most recovery costs will be covered by the state's $7 million cyber insurance policy.

He said only a "very small subset of internal data" was exposed and that no resident information was compromised. The state is working on the recovery process with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Galluzi praised state IT workers who worked "18- to 20-hour days for weeks" to restore systems, calling their efforts "a sacred sense of duty."

Galluzi said a statewide SOC remains essential for future resilience, though its effectiveness in preventing last year's attack remains uncertain.