The malicious 'software', known in computer jargon as 'ransomware', of which the entire computer system of the Torre Pacheco City Council has been a victim in recent days would have been introduced by the 'hackers' of the international group LockBit. According to sources close to the investigation, this team already acted months ago against the town councils of Seville and Calvià, in Mallorca.
The attack was detected last Friday, March 29, and access to the computers was completely blocked five days later. The rest of the information that can be accessed “is encrypted” by hackers.
The mayor, Pedro Ángel Roca, said he was “concerned” about this problem, but stressed that they are working to “normalize” the situation through the computer service of the Autonomous Community, the National Cryptological Center (CCN) and a contracted computer company. by the City Council itself. The objective, he specified, is “to have effective mechanisms that allow mitigating the action of hackers and reducing possible negative impacts.” The councilor asked for “trust and tranquility” from the neighbors, whose attention at City Hall will be processed “as in the past, manually.” Roca confirmed that they have not responded to the contact request made by the hackers, in which a million-dollar ransom would presumably be requested to restore the system.
Pedro Ángel Roca clarifies that they have not responded to the cybercriminals, who will demand a million-dollar ransom
The first municipal service that detected the system crash, on Good Friday, was the Local Police, which did not have access to the servers or the rest of the information, which remained encrypted.
Once it became aware of the cyberattack, the Torre Pacheco City Council notified the IT Service of the Autonomous Community and the National Cryptological Center (CCN). The mayor reported the incident to the Civil Guard and immediately formed a crisis committee, which is constantly analyzing the evolution of the situation and its effects on citizens. The spokespersons for the political groups were also informed, who immediately showed their support for the local government.
The attention to the neighbors, the councilor clarified, will be processed for the moment “as in the past, manually.”
The personal data that may have been affected would be related to the management of municipal services, including basic identification data associated with the administrative procedures managed by the City Council, as well as data from its internal services, related to its internal management.
As a precaution, the City Council recommends that people who have a relationship with the City Council and, especially those whose information has been provided through electronic means, “exercise extreme caution in the handling of their personal information.” If you have any questions, neighbors and interested parties can contact the City Council in person or via email [email protected].
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