War

Rock Island Arsenal

The Rock Island Arsenal comprises 946 acres (383 ha), located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. Rock Island was previously used as the summer camp site for Sauk Native Americans, and the dispute over tribal ownership led to the Black Hawk War of 1832, after the primary leader of the Sauk, Black Hawk. It is now home of First Army headquarters, and the US Army's Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island_Arsenal

POLITICO Pro | Article | Ransomware attack hits bill drafting commission

POLITICO Pro | Article | Ransomware attack hits bill drafting commission

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.