Authorities in Pensacola, Florida, confirmed Tuesday that a cyberattack the city’s government experienced last weekend was the result of ransomware.
Pensacola officials were slow to identify the incident, which began early Saturday morning, as ransomware, though many of the symptoms — the city’s phones, email servers, 311 line and online bill payment systems had been rendered nonfunctional, though emergency services were operational — were consistent with other ransomware attacks against local governments.
Jeff Bergosh, a member of surrounding Escambia County’s board of commissioners, wrote on his personal blog that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is helping Pensacola respond to the attack, along with several federal agencies including the FBI and Department of Homeland of Security.
