Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware in which hackers access files and encrypt them, demanding payment to restore access. Coverage includes ransomware attacks on cities, states, schools and public utilities, as well as legislative efforts to curb the threat and set policy on how to respond.
-
After a ransomware incident in January, officials made changes including updating IT protocols. A second attack this week took affected systems offline, but not 911 and emergency services.
-
Following the county’s second such attack this year, Minnesota’s National Guard will provide cyber protection support. The more recent incident was continuing to impact emergency and municipal services Tuesday.
-
A ransomware attack in January in New Britain, Conn., and an attempted “interruption” in Meriden in February highlight the ongoing cybersecurity threat to municipalities and others.
More Stories
-
One expert calls Log4j “maybe the vulnerability of the decade.” Governments and private organizations alike are trying to quickly patch the vulnerability, which has attracted hackers associated with nation-states.
-
Honolulu’s public transportation officials have their hands full with the task of bringing back myriad digital services that were lost after a Dec. 9 ransomware attack. An investigation into the attack continues.
-
The city of Santa Fe is using manual timekeeping methods for employees after a ransomware attack on Ultimate Kronos Group, the vendor that provides the city’s time-tracking system, officials have announced.
-
2021 will be remembered as the most disruptive year so far when it came to cyber attacks, with ransomware impacting businesses and governments — including critical infrastructure — as never before.
-
MaineHealth and Hannaford, two of Maine's largest employers, have been affected by a ransomware attack on Kronos, a human resources firm that helps companies manage payrolls and track employee attendance.
-
Mark Wong, CIO of Honolulu, Hawaii, said all computer networks operated by the city and county are safe, despite a recent ransomware attack that compromised public transit services and other organizations.
-
City officials announced that a ransomware attack had breached the timekeeping vendor the Ultimate Kronos Group over the weekend. The company says it may take several weeks for services to come back online.
-
Several of the systems used by state lawmakers have been taken offline following a cyber attack against the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. The attack comes just a month before the next legislative session.
-
A ransomware attack on payroll service vendor the Ultimate Kronos Group may have compromised data for employees of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services and the city's Board of Water Supply.
-
The city took its systems offline — including bill payment services — after identifying an external threat Friday. Emergency services and police and fire response were not affected by the outage.
-
The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s revised framework expands its focus to operational technologies, urging organizations to better ensure mission-critical systems can withstand cyber disruptions.
-
Indiana’s 2021 cybersecurity strategy aims to provide a variety of practical tools and education supports. Cybersecurity program director Chetrice Mosley-Romero says it puts a particular focus on helping local government.
-
For thousands of students and employees of Broward County Public Schools in Florida whose personal data was exposed by a cyber attack, experts recommend new passwords, credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
-
A federal hearing discussed new cyber incident reporting requirements for rail operators, put focus on needs to shore up Department of Transportation system defenses and questioned the state of FAA cybersecurity.
-
Ransomware incidents at other Pennsylvania schools prompted Hempfield Area School District to pay for an audit and vulnerability assessment of its infrastructure, set to begin when students leave for the holidays.
-
After initially saying it was unaware of personal information being exposed by a ransomware attack months ago, the district is now sending written notifications that names and social security numbers were exposed.
-
The editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review commends the college for being open with the public about a recent ransomware attack and shutting down classes Monday and Tuesday to be safe.
-
The Illinois school's computer network, including phones, email and applications, went down early this morning due to a ransomware attack, prompting administrators to close campus for the day.
Most Read
- Virtual Learning Boomed, but Now States Struggle to Govern It
- Yuma County, Ariz.’s New CIO Hails From the City of Yuma
- Funding California IT Like Other Types of Infrastructure
- Is there a bike bell that you can hear even with noise-canceling headphones?
- Casper, Wyo., Will Use AI to Analyze Police Bodycam Footage