The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office has taken down its computer network to protect it from hackers.
Last week, the sheriff was called by the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security because attempts were being made to hack the sheriff's servers. The sheriff's IT department took steps, but on the following Homeland Security called again about more attempts.
To be safe, the entire computer network was taken down and the sheriff's IT department began going through stored data to look for signs of intrusion. All the servers are being rebuilt.
"In the interim the Sheriff's Office will continue to operate and maintain the safety and security of our citizens," a statement from Sheriff William Earl Hilton states. "At this time we do no believe any of our data has been compromised or lost."
This attempted intrusion comes on the heels of recent ransomware attacks against the state and the City of New Orleans.
