Since city employees discovered ransomware on all computer systems back in mid-December, many systems have been offline, leading to delays in government functions. As the city attempts to fix the varying issues, some elements of the government have come back online, including Municipal and Traffic Court. Read on to learn how Crescent City Law Firm can help get you back on track after this citywide setback.
Ransomware attack on the city system
Much like a regular ransom situation, ransomware is cyberware that denies access to the user or even threatens to publish their information until a ransom is paid. To avoid any loss of information, the city shut down all computer systems last December when the malware was discovered. The city has had to clean and update all the computers and even replace some of the computers they were unable to fix. The City has not announced publicly whether they paid a ransom.
Many different branches of city government were shut-down because of the attack.
Some of the issues include the following:
- City employees using pen and paper to conduct their work
- Lack of access to public employee email accounts
- Difficulty accessing internal systems to pay city bills
- Lack of access to police reports
- Residents unable to conduct Municipal and Traffic Court business
- City vendor payment processing delayed
- City officials delayed in sending comprehensive audit
- Restoring the online tax-paying system
Efforts to fix the issues
Luckily, many of these issues are in the process of being resolved, or have already been resolved, but the city is now estimating another eight months before everything will be up and running again. Efforts to fix the issues caused by the hack have already cost the city $7 million. And while the city continues to work towards resolutions, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has delayed the deadline for for property tax payments until Feb. 14 – two weeks later than normal.
What does this mean for The New Orleans Traffic Court?
According to the Municipal and Traffic Court’s new chief judge, Judge Sean Early, services at the court are about “95% there.” But what does this mean for people with issues in traffic court?
Crescent City Law’s John Radziewicz was quoted in Nola.com that he was able to get the ball rolling on some cases, but people are still having issues with reinstating their driver’s licenses. The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles and the New Orleans court are working on agreements to ensure people can get their licenses reinstated at some point. In the meantime, here are some of the things Crescent City Law can help you deal with while traffic court gets back to normal:
- Past due payments
- Missed court dates
- Reinstating suspended licenses
- Waving fines
Give Crescent City Law a call today
If you are experiencing any of these traffic court issues as a result of the city’s larger cyber problem, contact us at Crescent City Law today to see how we can help you. With years of experience representing the people in New Orleans, John Radziewicz can help you navigate the confusion of a citywide delay and get you back on the road in no time. Give us a call at 504-264-9492 for your free consultation today.
