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Ransomware Attacks Target City Servers in Gary, Ind.

Gary officials have notified the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and brought in a cybersecurity firm to assist with the investigation and restoration process, spokesman Michael Gonzalez said.

a sample image of a ransomware note on a computer screen
Shutterstock/JMiks
(TNS) — Several of the city's servers were recently the target of a ransomware attack, a city spokesman said.

Gary officials have notified the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and brought in a cybersecurity firm to assist with the investigation and restoration process, spokesman Michael Gonzalez said.

Investigators have not yet determined if anyone's personal information was compromised in the investigation, he said.

"If that has happened, we'll work with residents to offer credit monitoring and any other assistance we can," Gonzalez said.

He declined to disclose when the attack was identified or which city departments were affected, citing an ongoing investigation. Not all city departments were affected, he said.

"The good news is we are in the process of rebuilding all of our servers and restoring the full range of functions," he said.

City employees affected by the attack have faced challenges, he said.

"We've been doing the best we can," he said. "Now that we're going through the restoration process, we're seeing things are getting better."

Gonzalez also declined to say whether the city paid a ransom.

"That's all part of the investigation," he said.

The city is still assessing costs associated with the attack, including expenses related to restoration, he said.

"We're going to try to determine all the costs, but we want to make sure our first priority is restoring the integrity of the entire system and making sure that everything is clean and safe," Gonzalez said.

The restoration process will take time, because the city is being thorough, he said.

© 2021 The Times (Munster, Ind.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.