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IT, Computer Upgrades Will Address Security for Rural County

The upgrades will bring in new fiber cabling, replace an outdated server, move old computers to the latest Windows operating system and install ransomware prevention software following an incident earlier this year.

(TNS) — The Adams County, Miss., Board of Supervisors approved orders for $194,000 worth of hardware and software equipment upgrades for county computer systems during Monday’s regularly scheduled board meeting.

The bulk of the purchase will cover new fiber cabling throughout the system to replace cables that are approximately 15 years outdated and are slowing down county computer systems, said Adams County Administrator Joe Murray.

In addition, the county will install a brand new server for sharing files between departments, Murray said.

“We run an AS/400 server, which needed to be replaced after four or five years, and we’re going on seven years with ours,” Murray said.

The purchase also will replace old computers with newer models and purchase Windows 10 licensing for older computers that will still in use, Murray said.

New ransomware prevention software also will combat malicious users from hacking and locking computer systems through emails and holding them hostage until a sum of money is paid, he said.

Earlier this year, Murray said the computers at the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center were hit by ransomware, and Marray said such emails are getting more and more difficult to detect.

“Sometimes they’ll use actual emails that you recognize, and someone might open it thinking its safe,” Murray said. “It’s the biggest virus going around right now. … They hit the juvenile facility, but luckily we caught it early, and we immediately shut everything down and dealt with it. Insurance paid for most of it, about $9,600 worth of repairs, but it cost us a lot of time.”

©2019 The Natchez Democrat (Natchez, Miss.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.