City News

City Ramps up Effort to Bolster Defenses against Malware Attacks

In response to the “WannaCry” ransomware that has been wreaking havoc across the world since May 12, Department of Information Technology (DOIT) established a task force on May 13 to ensure necessary measures are implemented to protect the city government’s computer system from the malware.

Led by DOIT Commissioner Lee Wei-bin, the task force comprises 20 members with backgrounds of information security, internet strategy, system and equipment management, as well as software engineering. The experts in their respective fields have been assigned the mission to evaluate the risk of the ransomware attacks and take action accordingly.

Between 8 AM and midnight on May 14, a cybersecurity drill was conducted to better prepare employees to manage security incidents. Starting at 7 AM on May 15, the City ran Microsoft Windows and anti-virus software updates while temporarily shutting down related services. No reports of malware infections have been found on the city government’s computer system.

DOIT noted that the following steps are taken on a regular basis to ward off computer viruses:
1. Windows update: Conducting daily updates through the Microsoft update server.
2. Virus definition update: Installing the latest virus definition updates on a daily basis.
3. Backup: Running scheduled server backups and requiring staff members to back up their files regularly.
4. Website access policy: Blocking access to game, pornographic and gambling sites as well as Chinese IP addresses.
5. Information security drills and education: Holding social engineering training programs and information security classes to increase cybersecurity awareness among staff members.

• Hit: 302
• Updated: 2017/5/16 14:59
• Reviewed: 2017/5/16 14:58


• Source: Department of Information Technology, Taipei City Government