Hackers Took Control of the City's Entire Computer System

This updated guide examines Hackers Took Control of the City's Entire Computer System and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Responsible-use note: Apply security techniques only to systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test.

This fact shows that many cities in the US, a leading world in technology, are not yet prepared to be able to cope with cyber attacks.

The attack on Riviera Beach began when an officer of the local Police Department accidentally opened an email with an attachment infected with malware from May 29 last. Soon after, this malicious software quickly spread throughout the city's computer systems. The whole email system, even the 911 coordination system, is affected.

Hackers then demanded a $ 600,000 ransom, paid in bitcoin. But the important issue is that there is no guarantee that after receiving that money they will comply with the agreement.

Before accepting the ransom, the Riviera Beach city council spent $ 1 million to buy new computers.

Today, the city council is cooperating with law enforcement and security consulting companies to find ways to restore the system.

Riviera Beach is not the only US city ever threatened by a cyber attack. In early May, Baltimore City became a victim of cyberattacks. The entire infrastructure of the city's email system and water payment system was frozen. Hackers asked Baltimore a ransom worth $ 100,000, but city officials declined.

As of June 12, 30% of the city's public employees are still unable to access email. In the coming months, many of the city's services will not work with full functionality. The city of Baltimore is estimated to have lost more than $ 18 million after the attack.

Many other US cities such as Atlanta, Albany in New York, San Diego in California, Sarasota in Florida, and Los Angeles hospitals, have also faced similar attacks.

Security experts from the federal and private governments have repeatedly issued warnings about the network defense barriers of many US public infrastructure in a state of opening for hackers to attack. Unfortunately, many organizations are still slow to strengthen their defense.