Russ Election

JACKSON COUNTY ASSESSMENT OFFICES WILL REMAIN CLOSED THIS WEEK AFTER A RANSOMWARE ATTACK AGAINST THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. SENSITIVE AND PRIVATE INFORMATION MAY BE AT RISK. KMBC NINE S ANDY ALCOCK HAS MORE FROM A CYBER SECURITY EXPERT AND IS GETTING ANSWERS ON WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING TO PROTECT THEIR DATA. WERE AT THE HISTORIC TRUMAN COURTHOUSE IN INDEPENDENCE, WHICH IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS. DUE TO THE ATTACK. WE SPOKE TO A CYBERSECURITY EXPERT WHO SAYS HACKERS HAVE ONE THING IN MIND. ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. AND THAT IS THE PRIME THE ONLY MOTIVATION FOR THESE ATTACKS. BRETT CALLOW WORKS FOR A COMPANY WHICH SELLS SOFTWARE TO PREVENT RANSOMWARE ATTACKS. BUT HE SAYS THERE COMMON. NOW PEOPLE LIKE PATRICK SULLINS ARE SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF JACKSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICES BEING CLOSED. ITS JUST FRUSTRATING. TAKE THE DAY OFF FROM WORK AND, UH, CANT GET NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED. IT WAS A SIMILAR STORY FOR BELLADONNA, KIPPER, WHO UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TO FIND HER LOST CHECKBOOK AFTER RECENTLY PAYING A TAX BILL HERE. I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE TO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. WE TOOK A LOOK TO SEE WHAT SOME METRO GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING TO PROTECT THEIR INFORMATION. JOHNSON COUNTY IS MORE THAN $35,000 FOR CYBERSECURITY IN ITS 2024 BUDGET. WYANDOTTE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT HAS NEARLY 183,000 AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN $800,000 IN 2023 TO SET UP A CYBERSECURITY TEAM. JACKSON COUNTY IS MORE THAN $800,000 IN ITS BUDGET FOR IT CONSULTING, BUT NO CYBERSECURITY LINE ITEM. THIS ISNT A MATTER OF FLICKING A SWITCH AND EVERYTHING COMING BACK ON. ITS A GRADUAL PROCESS. ITS NOT THE FIRST ATTACK IN OUR AREA. IN DECEMBER, RANSOMWARE HACKERS BLACKMAILED LIBERTY HOSPITAL AFTER A CYBER ATTACK THERE. THE HOSPITAL WAS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN SOME OF ITS SERVICES AND TRANSFER SOME PATIENTS TO OTHER HOSPITALS. ANDY ALCOCK, KMBC NINE NEWS JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF DARYL FORTE SAYS HIS OFFICE IS VOLUNTARY, SHUT DOWN SOME OF ITS SYSTEMS FOR PROTECTION. HE SAYS THE SHERIFFS OFFICE IS STIL