Ransomware Attack on Atlanta: Municipal Security System Impact

Last month, five of Atlanta's 13 government offices were "hijacked," as the city's mayor put it, by ransomware that disrupted far-reaching facets of the city’s digital infrastructure. From the courts to the police department to public works, government activity was essentially frozen as the hackers gave the city a week to pay the ransom – roughly $50,000 worth of bitcoin – or have critical data and processes deleted permanently. While the event was eye-catching for several reasons, it's hardly an isolated incident. From Dallas to Denver, hackers leveraging ransomware not unlike the program that hit Atlanta have been able to "hijack" municipal networks largely because these entities were poorly protected.

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