Tag Archive for: Philadelphia

‘Akira’ ransomware behind Bucks Co. cyberattack that crippled emergency dispatch system – NBC10 Philadelphia


About a week after a cyberattack crippled Bucks County’s computer-aided emergency dispatch system, officials, on Friday, announced they believe they know who was behind the attack.

According to county officials, the ransomware group “Akira” is believed to have been responsible for the attack on a computer-aided emergency dispatch system that — according to the Department of Homeland Security — enables “dispatchers, call- takers, and 911 operators to prioritize and record incident calls, identify the status and location of responders in the field, and effectively dispatch responder personnel.”

“The County has shared with its local, state and federal partners that the ransomware “Akira” is involved so that they can have situational awareness and review their own systems,” county officials announced.

However, officials said, all 911 phone and radio systems remain operational as they investigate the cyberattack.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Akira is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that started operations in March 2023.

“The group has targeted multiple sectors, including finance, real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare,” says the Dept. of Health and Human Services, noting that the group typically demands ransom payments in these cyberattacks.

Without this system, Bucks County officials said that the county has lost automated services powered by CAD and law enforcement officials cannot access databases for the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network nor the National Crime Information Center.

Officials said they are working with state and federal partner agencies to assist in the investigation into the cybersecurity incident and, the county’s IT department is working to get the systems back online as soon as possible.

As of Sunday, officials still had no projected timeframe for when these services might resume.

Source…

Philadelphia Inquirer attack admitted by Cuba ransomware



BleepingComputer reports that The Philadelphia Inquirer was claimed to be compromised by the Cuba ransomware operation in a cyberattack this month, which resulted in the publication’s most significant …

Source…

Philadelphia Inquirer cyberattack remains under investigation


The Philadelphia Inquirer and outside cybersecurity experts have yet to determine the full extent of a cyberattack on the news organization last week, but the disruption won’t affect coverage of the hotly contested mayoral primary election Tuesday.

Lisa Hughes, The Inquirer’s publisher and chief executive, declined to say how seriously the cyberattack affected The Inquirer’s systems while the investigation continues. The attack prevented the publication of the regular Sunday print edition; subscribers received the early edition composed on Friday evening.

The attack is The Inquirer’s most significant publication disruption since a blizzard in 1996. With Inquirer offices closed as a precaution, staffers worked from home Monday as they did through the pandemic. But this time, they had to use workarounds to access publishing software and business systems. The Inquirer published a print edition Monday, but without classified ads, including death notices, which are expected to return to the newspaper Wednesday.

News staffers covering Tuesday’s election will work together at a temporary newsroom in Center City. The cyberattack affected internet servers and the effort to restore them requires systems to intermittently be turned off, Hughes said. The newsroom is expected to reopen Wednesday.

The cyberattack gained international attention, with CNN, Fortune, the New York Times, Associated Press, and the Guardian reporting on the news.

» READ MORE: The Philadelphia Inquirer’s operations continue to be disrupted by a cyber incident

Who committed the attack, how they accessed The Inquirer’s systems, what was targeted, and whether this was a result of ransomware remained unanswered. News organizations, including the Los Angeles Times and the Guardian have been victims of ransomware, software that freezes systems until the organization pays the perpetrators, in recent years.

Hughes declined to say Monday whether The Inquirer received a ransom demand or whether the individual or group responsible for the attack contacted the news organization.

The Inquirer notified the FBI of the attack, Hughes said. The federal law enforcement agency has said it typically does conduct an…

Source…

Ransomware Attack Locks Up Criminal Investigative Files at Camden County Police Department – NBC10 Philadelphia


nbc10 investigators 20 mins ago

The Camden County Police Department experienced a ransomware attack that has been locking many criminal investigative files and day-to-day internal administration abilities, several law enforcement officials said. NBC10 investigative reporter Claudia Vargas has the details.

Local

Source…