City of Atlanta officials provide little detail about cyberattack

[steve2470]

https://www.myajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/city-atlanta-officials-provides-little-detail-about-cyberattack/FK2gvnRumL046dgtXmF5TK/

Posted: 6:04 p.m. Monday, March 26, 2018

Five days after a cyberattack forced City of Atlanta employees to turn off their computers to preserve the city’s network, officials declined to provide the public any new significant detail about the attack’s origin on Monday.

At a press conference at City Hall, an outside computer security consultant for the City of Atlanta said that his firm had completed the “investigation and containment phases” in response to the cyber attack.

snip

Bottoms said that city officials hadn’t found any evidence that sensitive employee or public data had been compromised in the Thursday attack. Still she urged employees and residents to monitor their accounts and credit activity.

She also did not rule out paying a $51,000 ransom being demanded to unlock the city’s computer system.

Bottoms is Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms

[yallerdawg]

1. Montgomery County (not city) Alabama paid ransomware, too.

September 2017. Our property taxes were coming due.

The ransomware attack that brought one of the largest counties in the state to a screeching halt has been resolved, both the cyber hacker and the county made good on their promises: the county paid more than $37,000 dollars in return, the files were returned.

“I hate to say this, but their reputation is that they do return stuff”, said Lou Ialacci, Montgomery County’s Chief IT Officer, a theory that changed from the first time we spoke to him, following the attack. “They think of themselves as modern day Robinhoods, they are here helping the masses. They are the good guys, they are going to come in, hack you and grab the files. If you pay them, that’s your punishment for letting them in.”

The payment was made in the form of internet currency called bitcoins, a value that changes daily like stocks. On Friday, the value of nine bitcoins was more than $37,000, Monday the value dropped to $32,837 dollars.

Ialacci said the department was in communication with the hackers through the dark web.

http://www.wsfa.com/story/36444230/montgomery-county-pays-ransom-regains-files-held-hostage-in-cyber-attack

[hlthe2b]

2. yikes... disturbing.

Sort of a convoluted argument made by the hackers, but I suppose the message sent is one that needs to be received. Though this tactic is just horrendous.

[yallerdawg]

3. Our County IT people asked how much $ for the hacker to tell them...

how to keep from getting hacked in the future?

Hackers response: and "This much!"

[steve2470]

4. I just read the city workers can now use their computers again

I wonder if they restored a backup or paid the ransom ?

https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/atlanta-city-employees-turn-computers-for-the-first-time-since-hack/4UcwhLtGBuQ2cgHy1bfECN/

The City of Atlanta advised its employees on Tuesday that they could begin turning on their computers for the first time since Thursday’s cyber attack.

Some city departments had been forced to revert to working on paper after someone breached the city’s computer network, encrypted data and demanded $51,000 in return for unlocking it.

“It is expected that some computers will operate as usual and employees will return to normal use,” a city press release said. “It is also expected that some computers may be affected or affected in some way and employees will continue using manual or alternative processes. This is part of the City’s ongoing assessment as part of the restoration and recovery process.”

At a press conference at City Hall on Monday, an outside computer security consultant for the City of Atlanta said that his firm had completed the “investigation and containment phases” in response to the cyber attack. Michael R. Cote, President & CEO of Secureworks, an Atlanta-based firm called in to assist the city, said the city was transitioning into the recovery phase.