Ransomware shot to headlines back in 2015 after it began targeting a number of businesses and then demanding ransoms in exchange for decrypting their data. It not only shocked businesses but also revealed a gaping hole in their cyber security as the lack of a potent ransomware removal strategy led to millions of dollars worth in data and information being stolen.
In recent times, ransomware expanded its sphere of operation to domestic PC users. Most of them lacked the knowledge or the technical tools that could help them remove ransomware. This is one of the reasons why ransomware payments from the domestic users surged in 2017.
Now, they have another victim in sight; government agencies. Though there have been attacks in the past where government agencies were targeted, none of them was of a particularly large scale. Files were encrypted and ransoms were demanded. As the agencies had their documents and information backed up, they simply reinstalled the windows. In recent months, ransomware attacks have not only surged in numbers but have also become more effective at disabling a host of other features.
The latest victim of such an attack is the city of Ohio that has its police and fire servers completely subdued. Multiple attempts to remove ransomware have failed and a ransom demand has been made in Bitcoin. Two months ago, the FBI issued a warning to all businesses, domestic users and government agencies to keep their ransomware removal tools updated and to have all of their important data properly backed up.
Officials from Ohio did not give a proper statement about what efforts are being undertaken to remove ransomware from their servers and whether any other server has been similarly infected. What is known about the attack as of right now is that it spread through an email attachment and quickly encrypted the police and fire servers.
There are unofficial reports that the city as sought the help of two other government agencies in order to assist them in their ransomware removal endeavors like the FBI and Department of Homeland Security helped the city of Atlanta earlier this year.
It remains unknown whether confidential citizens’ data has been leaked or exactly how much ransom has been demanded.
