(PM) — Following the Baltimore ransomware attack that took city systems offline for 36 days, Philadelphia is the next victim.
The incident was reported on May 30 as a ‘possible’ cyberattack on judicial systems as the result of a virus intrusion. Two weeks later, city systems are still down including the court.
What makes the Philadelphia attack different is the response from officials. In a highly unusual move, city officials are refusing to name the cybersecurity firm involved in the infected systems.
Whether the Philadelphia malware attack is another example of ransomware is yet to be made public.
Recovering from the attack on Baltimore will cost approximately $18 million. This makes paying the ransom appealing to an affected firm or city. Ransomware is typically triggered by a user inside an organization that clicks on a malicious link in an email. It is important to remember that having backups stored offsite is the key to recovery.
