West Haven officials said Thursday they paid the money to anonymous attackers through the digital currency Bitcoin.
This collaborative analysis suggested an evolution of IoT botnets, from a nearly exclusive use case of launching DDoS attacks to more sophisticated activities such as ransomware distribution and crypto-mining. (Photo: Pixabay)
A Connecticut city has paid USD 2,000 to restore access to its computer system after a ransomware attack.
West Haven officials said Thursday they paid the money to anonymous attackers through the digital currency bitcoin to unlock 23 servers and restore access to city data.
The attack disabled servers early Tuesday morning, and city officials say it was contained by 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
City attorney Lee Tiernan says officials initially didn't want to pay the ransom, but research showed it was the best course of action.
The city says there's no reason to believe data was compromised. Employee pay was not affected.
The US Department of Homeland Security says the attack came from outside the US.
An investigation is ongoing.
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