>> ERIC: A RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON THE CITY OF ST. PAUL HAS BROUGHT CYBER-SECURITY BACK INTO FOCUS.

ON MONDAY, MAYOR MELVIN CARTER ANNOUNCED THAT SOME STOLEN DATA FROM THE ATTACK WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE, BUT THE TOTAL SCALE OF THE ATTACK IS STILL UNCLEAR.

JOINING US TO TALK MORE ON CYBER-SECURITY IS A FORMER CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF ST. PAUL AND CURRENT MINNESOTA I.T.

COMMISSIONER, TAREK TOMES.

UPDATE.

HOW WE DOING?

>> WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Eric: OH, SURE.

>> ON THE SHOW.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW IS A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSE TO A REALLY SIGNIFICANT CYBER CRIME, AND THESE TYPES OF EVENTS ARE CERTAINLY NOT RESTRICTED TO PUBLIC SECTOR.

WE SEE THEM IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THEY DON'T GET QUITE THE SAME NOTORIETY OR THE SAME PUBLICITY AND GENERALLY WE REFER TO THESE TYPES OF THINGS OR ORGANIZATIONS AS REALLY FALLING INTO ONE OF TWO CAMPS.

OR YOU'VE HAD A REALLY SIGNIFICANT CYBER EVENT OR YOU DON'T KNOW YET.

AND REALLY I THINK ST. PAUL'S RESPONSE IN COMBINATION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, IN COMBINATION WITH FEDERAL PARTNERS, WITH THE NATIONAL GUARD, WITH THIS NATIVE MINNESOTA HAS REALLY BEEN EXTRAORDINARY TO REALLY ENGAGE IN A STRONG RECOVERY EFFORT.

>> Dana: IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ATTACKERS THREATENED THE CITY AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WANT SOME RAN SOME MONEY FROM YOU.

WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT OUT.

BUT THE CITY ECLINED TO GIVE THAT MONEY.

I WONDER IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THESE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU'RE SORT OF BEING THREATENED, SOMEONE HAS INFORMATION OF YOURS, HOW DO CITIES OPERATE IN SORT OF A SITUATION LIKE THAT WHERE YOU'RE BEING THREATENED?

>> YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES FALL INTO TO BROAD CATEGORIES.

EITHER SOMEONE IS INITIATING A CYBER CRIME TO MAKE A STATEMENT, MAYBE A POLITICAL STATEMENT OR THEY'RE DOING IT FOR FINANCIAL MONETARY GAIN, AND THE MONETARY GAIN SIDE OF IT HAS UNFORTUNATELY REALLY GROWN AS TO THE PLACES YOU CAN FIND THE RESOURCES TO TRY TO COMMIT THESE TYPES OF CYBER CRIMES.

AND ONCE YOU BECOME AWARE OF THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, YOU REALLY ENGAGE WITH PROFESSIONALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS THAT THEN GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW TO RESPOND TO THE TYPES OF REQUESTS AND WHAT YOUR POSTURE IS TO ACTUALLY RECOVER.

>> Eric: WHEN YOU WERE ON WITH MARY LAHAMMER AND HER SHOW IN MARCH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FEDERAL FUNDING AND IT OCCURRED TO ME TODAY THAT THAT FUNDING IS MAYBE BEING HELD UP IN WASHINGTON.

>> THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WAS PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO INITIATED A PROGRAM THAT DISTRIBUTES THOSE FUNDS, $26 MILLION, TO LOCAL ENTITIES, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

AND THOSE FUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN HELD UP.

CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM.

BUT CERTAINLY THE CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

PUTTING TOGETHER EFFECTIVE DEFENSES AGAINST CYBER ACTIVITIES IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE GROCERY SHOPPING.

YOU DON'T GET TO BUY GROCERIES ONE TIME AND THEN END.

YOU HAVE TO CONTINUALLY INVEST IN THESE SPACES AND WE CERTAINLY ARE HOPEFUL BOTH FROM A FEDERAL LEVEL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE CRITICALITY OF PROTECTING LOCAL ENTITIES THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THE BUDGET, CAPABILITIES TO PROTECT THEM SEACHES.

>> Eric: WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELP?

>> WELL, CERTAINLY WILL HELP.

UNFORTUNATELY, WILL ALSO HELP THE CYBER ACTORS, IF YOU WILL.

AND IT'S NOT NEW N THIS SPACE.

VIGILANCE IS REQUIRED.

YOU NEED PEOPLE OR PROGRAMS, LIKE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AGENTS, TO REALLY MONITOR THESE ENVIRONMENTS 24/7.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TURN OFF THE MONITORING AT SOME POINT BECAUSE ANY TIME AN ANOMALY IS DETECTED, YOU REALLY NEED TO TAKE SOME KIND OF AN ACTION ON IT.

AND THE BREAKTHROUGHS AND THE INNOVATION THAT'S HAPPENING IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SPACE CERTAINLY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A STRONG PART OF TYPES OF TOOLS THAT ORGANIZATIONS PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.

>> Dana: REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SAFETY OF STATE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IN THE CAPITAL CITY.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN TARGETED N THIS THREAT OR IN THIS ATTACK?

>> YOU KNOW, I CAN'T GET NTO THE SPECIFICS OF THAT.

BUT I DON'T -- I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CONCERN IS WARRANTED.

CERTAINLY, EVERY PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, FROM A FEDERAL LEVEL TO A STATE LEVEL TO LOCAL LEVELS, WE TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE'S INFORMATION AS REALLY ONE OF OUR MOST SACRED OBLIGATIONS.

AND AS SUCH, WE REALLY DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INVEST HEAVILY INTO MAKING SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AND CERTAINLY ST. PAUL'S RESPONSE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY STRONG.

COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FARE.

>> Eric: YOU'RE IN A GROWTH