Ransomware everywhere: One coordinated attack hits 22 American towns
What's the story
Even two years after the super-dangerous WannaCry ransomware attack, government computer systems haven't been equipped with the technology to thwart critical cyber-crimes. In fact, the cases of attacks have increased over the months, and in the latest one, nearly two dozen small American towns have been targeted. Here's all about the attack and its impact on the towns.
Attack
Small towns in Texas targeted by ransomware
Ransomware attacks typically revolve around hacking an individual's computer and holding its data hostage unless the target agrees to pay a certain sum of money. These attacks are pretty common; however in this particular case, it is not a single person but 22 government departments in small Texas towns that have been targeted. Their systems were compromised, with data apparently being held hostage.
Details
One threat actor behind all attacks
According to a report from the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR), the attack was carried out on August 16 by, what appears to look like, one single threat actor. They denied providing specific details of the ransomware or the name of the departments and towns affected but said the systems were offline and are now being handled by response teams for restoration.
Investigation
Investigation on the matter is underway
As the response teams continue to work on the affected systems, the FBI and Texas DIR are investigating the case in hopes of tracking down the culprit. It is not exactly clear how much money the attacker asked for, but a spokesperson from the Texas department suggested they were not aware of any department agreeing to pay up the asked amount.
Possibility
More details likely to be revealed later
The authorities are expected to provide more details about the ransomware and the damage once the systems are restored. However, the fact that a lone actor was able to compromise 22 government systems is enough to show that cyber-criminals have become sophisticated enough to carry out bulk attacks. Notably, before this, over 22 other US cities have been targeted in similar kind of attacks.