I’m a gun owner and I’m concerned about many of the anti-second amendment proposals put forward lately. I believe people should have the right to keep and bear arms, that gun owners should not have to go through unnecessary hoops. I think it’s important we defend our rights as gun owners.
This map shows tax exempt properties in Albany in orange color, along with other properties that exist on other parts of the tax rolls.
ALBANY, New York — State officials are now investigating the cyberattack on the state's budget system as a ransomware attack that has scuttled progress toward an agreement now two weeks late.
The attack left a state budget deal in limbo, and the problem was so befuddling that Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state commission that was hacked and in charge of drafting legislation had to turn to a computer system from 1994 to try to stem the problems.
The state Legislature and the Democratic are working to finalize a $237 billion budget agreement this week.
“We've been more concerned about finding the source, finding how we can remedy this, how we can get back to normal so it's something we've been dealing with since the wee hours of the morning,” Hochul said in a radio interview with WNYC.
Hochul and top legislative leaders insisted the attack would not hinder their ability to print budget bills, and she said using a “more antiquated system” from 30 years ago will serve as a backup to move the budget process along.
One state official familiar with the details of the attack, and granted anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said no specific dollar amount was being sought by the attackers at the moment. A ransomware attack occurs when a perpetrator blocks access to a system until a specific amount of money is paid.