Ransomware

The new ransomware attack threatened the university's cybersecurity defenses last week, resulting in canceled classes and disruptions in employee payroll systems.

The March 21 attack impacts information from about 300 people, the Tarrant Appraisal District said. The district’s legal council has said hackers have asked for $700,000. Portions of the district website remain offline; it has not paid the ransom.

Some city sources have attributed a cyber incident in early March to ransomware, although the municipality has only called it a “network disruption.” Birmingham is using paper-based processes to pay staff, but public effects may be more minor.

Some property-related offices in Jackson County, Mo., were closed Tuesday due to computer malfunctions. A ransomware attack, the county said in a statement, is “a potential cause,” but no data currently appears to have been compromised.

Attackers are seeking $700,000 from the Tarrant Appraisal District, following an incident last week that took its new website offline. It’s unclear whether sensitive information has been compromised, a cybersecurity attorney said.

A ransomware attack discovered in early February locked public defenders across the state out of their computers and files. The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender has acknowledged personal data may have been stolen.

While new artificial intelligence technologies could be used for nefarious purposes such as creating more convincing phishing attacks, experts say the technology might also automate and strengthen IT security protocols.

The New Mexico Administrative Office of the District Attorneys was still trying to get its main computer servers working Thursday after ransomware locked prosecutors across the state out of files.

Plus U.S. social media rankings, the 60 football field-sized data centers worth $25 billion coming to Arizona and Chipotle's pilot for a robot to make its guacamole.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board worked with the Nevada Office of the Chief Information Officer to move its website to a new platform, after a cyber incident in late January. An investigation found no personal information was accessed.

Experts have long debated a nationwide ban on paying cyber extortionists. But any ban must be paired with measures to help targets improve defenses, cybersecurity experts say.

Most public defenders have regained computer access after an attack on the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender discovered Feb. 9, but the number of rescheduled hearings statewide has risen.

The plan to upgrade Fulton County, Ga.’s internal software system is being sped up following a recent ransomware attack. Commissioners have approved a $10.2 million overhaul of the county’s internal software system.

2023 saw more cloud-based intrusions and data breach-based extortion. Cyber extortion and ransomware, plus election-related disinformation, are likely to be key concerns in 2024, too.

The countdown clock on a website containing screenshots of information stolen from Fulton County, Ga., servers two weeks ago hit zero on Friday, and then mysteriously disappeared.

After a Kansas drinking water treatment facility was compromised through remote access on a former employee's cellphone in 2019, the state is launching a tool to assess the cybersecurity of the agencies in charge of keeping drinking water safe.

Danbury School District in Connecticut requested educational reserve funds from its local city council to cover expenses tied to a ransomware attack, including setting up a secure network and backing up data off site.

A new report from U.S. News reveals that around 61 percent of survey respondents had their personal data breached at some point. Another 44 percent reported that they had this happen multiple times.