Ransomware Surges Against Local Governments and Hospitals in 2019
Targeted ransomware attacks cause major operational and financial disruptions for state and local governments throughout 2019. Cybercriminals view these underfunded public entities as vulnerable, low-hanging fruit compared to larger federal targets.
Targeted ransomware attacks emerge as the top cybersecurity story of 2019, causing major disruptions for state and local governments as well as hospitals across the United States. High-profile incidents force municipalities like Baltimore, New Orleans, and numerous Texas towns to declare states of emergency, while some Florida cities pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to hackers to restore their systems.
These attacks inflict severe operational downtime, financial damage, and citizen frustration regardless of whether the victims pay the ransom. Cybercriminals specifically target counties, cities, school districts, and medical facilities because they view these organizations as ill-prepared and easy targets compared to large banks or federal defense agencies.
The true scope of this ransomware surge remains largely hidden, as many public and private organizations choose not to publicly disclose their cyber struggles. Experts point out that the actual number of ransomware incidents is certainly much higher than the reported figures, highlighting a widespread vulnerability in local public infrastructure.