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Lucas Ropek

Staff Writer

Lucas Ropek is a former staff writer for Government Technology.

Cybersecurity

Ransomware Again Strikes Louisiana, Forcing Server Shutdowns

The state, which just suffered a large-scale coordinated attack in July, was forced to take a majority of its state servers offline to mitigate the risk of the malware's infection spreading.

November 18, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Cybersecurity

Report: Oversight of Election Vendors Is Sadly Lacking

A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice argues that there is not enough transparency between election vendors and the governments they work for. The authors argue that more needs to be done to protect the process.

November 14, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Cybersecurity

North Dakota Expands Cyberdefense with New Funding, Workforce

The state’s Cyber Operations Center is seeing the benefits of a $15.4 million funding boost. The investment will allow for the hiring of new staff and the deployment of new cybersecurity tools, officials say.

November 13, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Civic Innovation

USC Offers Regional Groups More Resources to Explore Data Stories

The Southern California university is helping an assortment of government groups tap into a relatively new data platform that provides innovative opportunities for research, policy and storytelling.

November 08, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Civic Innovation

Knight Foundation Gives $3.5M for Internet Policy Research

The famous journalism and arts organization has committed itself to informing the public debate on Internet governance, with a hope that new research will lead to nationwide policy changes.

November 07, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Cybersecurity

Baltimore Committee Digs for Answers on Ransomware Attack

The new City Council committee discussed the ways in which the ransomware hackers were able to infiltrate Baltimore's IT infrastructure at its first meeting this week.

November 06, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Education

New Bill Would Require Schools to Monitor Social Media

Programs that monitor students' social media and email, which have grown in popularity in recent years, are seen as a means of heading off the next tragic shooting. New legislation would dramatically expand their use.

November 01, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Policy

Will More States Adopt Privacy Laws in 2020?

As a new year approaches, myriad states are looking to adopt their own, distinct privacy laws — a fact that leaves many in the business and technology industries anxious about the road ahead.

October 29, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Cybersecurity

Indiana Is Home to the Latest National Guard Cyberbattalion

The elite cyberbattalion, announced by Gov. Eric Holcomb Tuesday, will be in charge of national cyberwarfare and cybersecurity operations. It is the fifth such battalion of its kind.

October 23, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
Digital Communities

Massachusetts Seeks to Boost Municipal Cyber-Resiliency

The commonwealth's new program, which is backed by state funding, will help communities develop effective cyber-response plans. Local governments, as well as states, often lack such concrete planning.

October 22, 2019
· Lucas Ropek