Sumter County Sheriff's Office Hit by Ransomware Attack
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday that it suffered a ransomware attack. According to the agency, it acted quickly to cut off all access from the attacker.
"Rest assured the attack has not impacted our law enforcement service response," the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office also mentioned it will be working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other IT professionals to analyze the attack. However, access to certain records will be limited.
The Rise of Ransomware Attacks
WESH.com spoke with cybersecurity expert Horacio Maysonet about the continued occurrence of these types of incidents. "It is something that's been going up," said Maysonet, president and CEO of Cybersecurity Solutions.
"Every year more small municipalities and small police departments get hit based on these attacks. It is something that's ongoing and one of the reasons is the same reason recently with the OneBlood cyberattack that took place," Maysonet explained.
Why Healthcare and Law Enforcement Are Targets
"Cyber criminals have discovered that healthcare and law enforcement will pay to get their access back to the files in order to continue operations," he added.
What is Ransomware?
To explain in simple terms, ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. Imagine it as someone locking your kitchen, demanding money before you can use it again.
How it Affects Us
Just like how a locked kitchen can disrupt daily chores, a ransomware attack on law enforcement can limit access to important records. This means it could take longer to retrieve certain documents, but, as reassured by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, their ability to respond to emergencies and perform their duties is not impacted.
