Ransomware is malicious software that makes critical systems unusable unless a sum of money is paid.
"The HHA is aware of the situation and is working diligently to resolve this very serious matter as swiftly as possible," the government agency said in the release. The authority board has also called a special meeting this Wednesday to discuss the $331,000 purchase of network security hardware and software.
The authority declined to comment on what information was being held ransom or how much was being demanded for its release.
But it confirmed that at least two other attacks, successfully deflected, also took place in past year — one in December 2023 and one last month.
The 2023 attack was detected "while in process," and the authority's technology team was able to block the hackers from their systems "before they could complete the process," according to the authority. "At that time all passwords to all accounts and systems were reset and an investigation was conducted on how they were able to gain access."
The October attack did not result in any entry to the housing authority's systems.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a study earlier this year showing that ransomware attacks are on the rise. According to Treasury Department data, the total value of U.S. ransomware-related incidents was $886 million in 2021, a 68% increase from the year before. It concluded that many government agencies needed to improve their ransomware security measures.
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