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Ransomware & Malware The Record 1 week ago

Mississippi mayor says ransomware incident led city to shut down systems

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CyberNew Threat Research Desk
• Original Reporting: The Record
CyberNew Threat Intel Assessment
Assessed Severity: INFORMATIONAL
Impacted Surface
Enterprise Perimeter & Network Defense
Intelligence Sector
Ransomware & Malware

Analyst Takeaway

"Vicksburg, Mississippi, City Hall. Image: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Mississippi mayor says ransomware incident led city to shut down systems A ransomware attack has shut down the computer systems of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the city’s mayor told residents on Thursday evening. Mayor Willis Thompson published a statement in the local newspaper saying the city is..."

Recommended Defense & Mitigation

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Curated & Verified by CyberNew Threat Intelligence Desk Standard Defense Framework (NIST / MITRE ATT&CK)
Vicksburg City Hall
Vicksburg, Mississippi, City Hall. Image: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Mississippi mayor says ransomware incident led city to shut down systems

A ransomware attack has shut down the computer systems of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the city’s mayor told residents on Thursday evening. 

Mayor Willis Thompson published a statement in the local newspaper saying the city is investigating a ransomware attack that has not impacted emergency services but has affected payments for utilities. He said the system shutdown was “temporary.”

Thompson said no one's services will be shut off while the investigation is ongoing and no penalties will be issued for late payments. He later told the Vicksburg Post that the city has been working on the recovery effort with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other state officials alongside private cybersecurity experts. 

“One of the top priorities of our investigation is determining whether there was any compromise of personal or confidential information relating to current and/or former customers, contractors, vendors, employees, or affiliated business partners of the City,” Thompson said in a statement. 

“At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and the City has not reached a final determination regarding what information, if any, may have been accessed or acquired without authorization.”

Source Verification & Original Intelligence

This threat report was reviewed by CyberNew analysts and cross-referenced with primary security disclosures from The Record.

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