St. Louis County Executive Sam Page is asking the county council to dip into emergency funds after a cyber attack took down a police database this week.
The Post Dispatch reports that Page sent a letter to council members Friday, asking them to approve $5 million from a state-regulated fund designed for "unforeseen emergencies."
Monday, hackers shut down a vital law enforcement system for about a day. In the letter, Page said it could've been worse and it shows what happens when governments don't spend enough money on information technology protections.
The money would pay for recommendations made by a cybersecurity expert in Page's administration. The council could consider the proposal Tuesday.