Baltimore hit with ransomware cyberattack, health department remains locked out

After nearly two weeks since being infected with ransomware, Baltimore city health officials and other departments are still unable to access systems, according to The Wall Street Journal.

On May 7, hackers encrypted 10,000 city government computers, demanding an undisclosed sum to unlock the data. Baltimore has refused to pay the ransom.

Within the city's health department, officials are unable to access the state network designed to help warn the public when bad batches of street drugs trigger overdoses, WSJ reports. Baltimore's public works department is also unable to generate new water bills for customers, meaning residents may get unusually high bills when the network is restored.

This is the second cyberattack to target Baltimore in 15 months. In March 2018, the city was hit with a ransomware attack on its 911 system, which forced dispatchers to temporarily relay addresses and other information to first responders by phone.

Baltimore officials have found some workarounds to allow various activities to take place, such as home sales, while the computers remain encrypted.

More articles on cybersecurity:

Oregon State Hospital alerts patients of phishing attack
Memorial Hermann employee 'improperly' used patients' credit card info
First cybercrime hotline unveiled in Rhode Island

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