The Need for Change
Accountability means the buck stops here. When what has been referred to as a negligent lack of procedures and oversight finally caught up to the auditor’s office with recent transfer of over $524,000.00 to an unverified account, there was a concerted effort to deflect responsibility onto others including those who have no control over the training or transaction process.
Competency is initiating best practices as part of a comprehensive plan to protect this from happening again using common sense procedures in dispersing funds currently used by individuals and private sector institutions. When the auditor stated, “We followed all policies and procedures.” the fact is there were NO policies or procedures to VERIFY where the money was going. Simple steps that should have been in place and are still lacking almost 9 months later include:
· Verification by simply calling a known individual who is supposed to be initiating the process using their known phone number of record. Having that person on the phone during the initial transfer. This portion was not in place until nearly six months after the incident.
· Implement consistent training as the “Custodian of the Courthouse” for all Courthouse staff on Cybersecurity & Certifications, possibly using a service such as Infosec (infosecinstitute.com). Training staff to recognize obvious phishing emails with incorrect extensions such as @dyersvllle.com (using three l’s), an address in the middle of an intersection for a bank that doesn’t exist in the local community, and use of an out of state phone number on the application for what is supposed to be a local bank branch.
· Penny transfer risking less than 10 cents with multiple confirmation and verifications BEFORE sending over half a million dollars as the initial transfer of an unverified request.
Transparency for voters deserving clear up-front answers. It took a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the truth behind this incident. While the Auditor’s office stated the old line “I can’t discuss this matter because it is part of an ongoing investigation” they coordinated four separate articles in the local newspaper to try and explain away the exact same issue they said they were not able to discuss.
Images clipped from actual emails obtained through
Freedom Of Information Act Request. Notations added for clarity.