Lake City to Pay Nearly $500,000 to Hackers

Lake City to Pay Nearly $500,000 to Hackers

Hackers have found a sweet spot in encrypting and attacking municipal computer systems. Lake City is the latest to suffer from these attacks, and after two weeks of inaccessible services, have agreed to pay the $460,000 ransom to hackers.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • Jun 27, 2019

Another Florida city has agreed to pay a ransom to regain control over their municipal computer systems. This is one of a few Florida cities to recently pay hackers a ransom to recover their information, as Rivera Beach just recently announced they would pay a $600,000 ransom to recover their encrypted files.

The mayor of Lake City told CBS 47 Action News Jax on Tuesday that the city would give the hackers $460,000 to hand back control of email and other servers seized on June 10. The attack knocked out the city’s email, and made it so the community could not pay their bills.

Ilia Kolochenko, the founder and CEO of ImmuniWeb said that this trend of encrypting computers and files, and only returning them for a ransom, is really a dangerous movement.

“This is a truly alarming trend that will likely spur targeted, well-planned attacks on cities and similarly defenseless victims. Until today, based on our experience, ransomware against such vulnerable classes of victims were either unsystematic or of relatively poor quality,” Kolochenko said. “However, with such lucrative and easy stakes on the table, cybercriminals will now willingly invest to prepare sophisticated, hardly-detectable and well-targeted campaigns. Worse, such cybercrimes are almost uninvestigable due to technical issues and payments in cryptocurrency.”

In the last 12 months, nearly half of organizations in the public sector say ransomware has impacted their business operations. In addition, 73% in the public sector have experienced two-to-five days of downtime as a result of the ransomware attack.

According to CBS 47 Action News Jax, all the city’s emergency services are in full operation, but it could take weeks or months until all services return to normal.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Tradeshow Work Can Be Fun

    While at ISC West last week, I ran into numerous friends and associates all of which was a pleasant experience. The first question always seemed to be, “How many does this make for you?” Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • New Report Says 1 in 5 SMBs Would Be Forced to Shutter After Successful Cyberattack

    Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) play a crucial role in the U.S. economy, making up 99.9% of all businesses and contributing to half of the nation's GDP. However, these vital economic growth drivers face an escalating threat—cyberattacks that could put them out of business. Read Now

  • The Yellow Brick Road

    The road to and throughout Wednesday's and Thursday's ISC West was crowded but it was amazing. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • An Inside Look From Napco at ISC West

    Get a look into the excitement at ISC West 2025 from Napco. Hear from some of their top-tech executives live from the show floor. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • Upping the Ante

    I am not a betting man in terms of cards, dice, blackjack or that wheel with the black marble racing around the circumference of a spinning wheel, but I would bet on the success of ISC West this year. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.