Following a successful ransomware attack, hundreds of city employees in Atlanta have been lacking Internet access since Thursday. Authorities said cybersecurity experts are “working around the clock” to fix the issue.
On Thursday, a group of hackers was able to lock some of the government data and asked a $51,000 ransom to restore access. The city has conducted a probe into the issue, but the access hasn’t been fully restored.
Government employees have been reportedly filling out forms by hand since the hack. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms confirmed that experts are in a race against time in restoring the access to the data.
Bottoms acknowledged that Atlanta has a lot of work to do when it comes to the security of its digital infrastructure. The Democratic mayor thinks that the latest cyberattack has just sped things up.
When reporters asked whether the municipality was willing to pay the ransomware, the mayor said the city would make a decision after talking with federal authorities.
Atlanta City Employees Returned to Old-Fashioned Tools
According to numerous media reports, city employees have returned to the old-fashioned pen and paper since the attack. Those who work at the jail, municipal courts, and other similar departments were the most affected.
- The city had to cut the Wi-Fi signal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to prevent another attack.
- Residents were unable to pay their utilities electronically.
- Fortunately, the police, fire departments, airport, and water safety services were not affected by the hack.
Meanwhile, the city of Loganville, a suburban town, believes that its system has been affected by a similar data breach. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Loganville’s digital infrastructure has been down since Monday. The town announced that some personal info of the residents might have been compromised.
Atlanta residents and city employees are advised to keep an eye on their bank accounts and secure their personal info.
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