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.
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A school district in Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week while it investigates and isolates a ransomware virus, which did not appear to have come from a local source.
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The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority has said it found an intrusion Nov. 21 and “immediately activated” defensive controls. The organization was able to interrupt the incursion underway.
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Public- and private-sector security leaders examined trends in cyber threats at the recent California Cybersecurity Education Summit. During an attack, one said, responding quickly is still very important.
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The attack hit on Wednesday, and it has caused court closures, problems with the city's 311 app and an outage for police websites. It also has the potential to disrupt online payments.
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Santa Clara Family Health Plan said Monday that the sensitive information of 276,993 members — including names, contact information, dates of birth, member IDs and Medi-Cal credentials — may have been compromised.
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An analysis by the Virginia-based cybersecurity firm GuidePoint Security found a 17 percent increase in ransomware attacks on schools since last quarter, and almost half of cases globally involve U.S. public entities.
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The February ransomware attack against the Bay Area city exposed personal data and affected city systems for several weeks, but officials are now reporting significant progress in the recovery effort.
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An unauthorized party accessed Social Security, passport, driver's license and financial account numbers and birthdates of some students and staff at Shoreline Community College in Washington state last month.
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The Alabama Supercomputer Authority, which provides free Internet and cybersecurity services to all schools statewide, warned the Board of Education about an increase in ransomware and phishing attacks.
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Passwords are both annoying to use and vulnerable to hackers. Fortunately, big tech is moving to support stronger, easier-to-use passkeys.
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Attorney General Chris Carr has announced that the Prosecution Division will be participating in a nationwide investigation into suspected users of Genesis Market, a marketplace known to traffic in the stolen credentials.
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An Alabama school district is still holding classes without Internet access two weeks after a ransomware attack forced it to shut down network operations, with no certain timeline for returning to normal.
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According to a report, the recent ransomware attack on Modesto's IT network may cost the city at least $1 million for expert help in recovering from it and for better IT security that could have deterred the attackers.
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A mid-March ransomware attack encrypted Camden County police files used in investigations and daily administration work. Another cyber incident hit the county prosecutor’s office.
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The ransomware group that claims to have stolen data from the Modesto Police Department's IT network has started making the information available on its website, a threat analyst reported Wednesday on Twitter.
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The Denver FBI field office is warning the public not to use the free public USB device chargers found in hotels, shopping centers and airports. The ports are increasingly being used to deliver malware to personal devices.
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A hacker group released more stolen files from Oakland's computer network, city officials said Tuesday — the second release in a month that has compromised personal data for current and former employees.
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Officials with the Oakland police union filed a claim asking for monetary damages of up to $25,000 per affected employee nearly two months after a ransomware attack that released 12 years of city employee data.
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A private liberal arts college in Oregon has regained most of its IT systems since a ransomware attack on March 3, but it's still working with experts to determine whether sensitive personal information was compromised.
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The second-largest public school system in Alabama has taken down its network systems while it works with outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to investigate whether data was compromised.
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The Modesto Police Department's IT network may have been the victim of a cyber attack three days before the city discovered the security breach, although officials say there is no longer any active threat.
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