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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The March incident, which compromised information belonging to at least 10 people, was a ransom attack, the county said in a statement. The local government declined attackers’ demand and took systems offline. -
Courtrooms have stayed open and judicial proceedings have gone forward following the attack detected early Monday. But systems across the sheriff’s and circuit clerk’s offices and at the courthouse were forced offline.
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The ransomware incident has forced county officials to take offline systems belonging to the sheriff’s office, the circuit clerk’s office and the courthouse. The incident came to light around 2:30 a.m. Monday.
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County officials are considering software in the cloud for the 911 central dispatch software service that was affected in the June 12 ransomware attack. Used to reach law enforcement and first responders, that system remains offline.
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A ransomware attack that has impacted the Seattle Public Library and its 27 branches continues to be felt nearly a month after its discovery May 25. E-book access has been restored, but computer networks remain down.
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After last week's ransomware attack shut down the network for Grand Traverse County and Traverse City operations, staff are continuing to implement "creative workarounds" to get government work done.
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City officials have not estimated how long the closure could drag on, but recovery efforts have taken weeks, even months, in other U.S. cities that have fallen victim to similar attacks.
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A spokeswoman for Mayor Justin Bibb said the breach has been “contained” but couldn’t say whether the city has agreed to, or will consider, paying the ransom. The city is working with the Ohio National Guard and the FBI to investigate.
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Roughly a day after a ransomware attack hit Grand Traverse County systems, essential services were fully operational, city and county officials said. County government phone systems, however, were among those still not working normally.
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The nationwide health system said Wednesday that files taken from its system during a breach in May likely contained personal information. The attack’s discovery impacted appointments, surgeries and ambulances.
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Shuttered Monday and Tuesday while officials probed what had first been described as a “cyber incident,” the Ohio city hall was poised for a restart Wednesday. The threat remains under investigation.
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Most of the Kansas city’s court system is back online, as is public Wi-Fi at libraries; and residents can once again pay water bills online. Other services and systems are expected to come back online soon.
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The company, which operates hospitals, pharmacies and health-care facilities nationwide, expects to restore electronic health records by June 14, following a ransomware attack in early May. Restoration of other systems is still ongoing.
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Unlike some other companies, NukuDo, which operates the school, pays students $4,000 a month during their training. The agreement is that upon course completion, they must work where it places them for three years.
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The ransomware attack May 8 on Ascension, one of the largest health systems in the country, has impacted its medical facilities nationwide. The company’s Michigan entity announced the service disruption to its pharmacies Wednesday.
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Hackers who breached Wichita, Kan., police and traffic records were able to access residents’ personal information, including names, Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. Since then, the city’s network has remained down.
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The health-care network is doing restoration after a ransomware attack May 8 affected network systems tracking test results, procedures and medications. Ascension runs more than 350 hospitals and urgent care centers in Indiana alone.
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The Biden administration plans to require hospitals to meet minimum cybersecurity standards, and will provide free training to small, rural hospitals. The moves follow the February Change Healthcare hack that may impact 1 in 3 Americans.
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The entity claimed responsibility for a Wichita incident confirmed Sunday, that prompted the shutdown of the City Hall computer network. As a result, many departments moved to paper and cash-only operations.
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The city of Wichita has shut down its computer network in response to a cyber attack, leaving some city services temporarily unavailable and requiring first responders to switch to backup procedures.
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The U.S. Department of Education and the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity will hold a summit in October and develop actionable insights for ed-tech vendors.
