Ransomware Takes Down A Texas City Hall
The City Hall's ransom demand started at $200,000. The attack shut Port Lavaca's billing and payment systems.
“We’re going to be down for a little while.” -Port Lavaca Mayor Whitlow
The city appears to have been hit by the Ryuk ransomware variant. Ryuk has become well-known for its particularly brutal attack pattern that often makes for a very costly recovery for victims.
The city has already racked up a nearly $50,000 bill.
Port Lavaca is one of hundreds of cities compromised by malware in recent months. In response to the increased attacks on government offices, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3834 in June to require Cyber Security Awareness Training for all government employees and contractors.
As cyber criminals keep getting better, more organizations are turning to INFIMA's