Kansas (state)

2024: Kansas' largest city cuts off all public services due to ransomware virus attack

On May 5, 2024, authorities in Wichita, Kansas' largest city, reported a massive hacker attack on their IT infrastructure. As a result of the invasion, the work of government services has been stopped, and cybersecurity experts are urgently engaged in system recovery.

It is reported that numerous failures are associated with the introduction of a ransomware program. As of this date, it is not specified how the ransomware group is behind the hack or whether a ransom was requested. In addition, it is not clear whether confidential and/or personal data were stolen. But the official notification says that the attackers encrypted certain information. In this regard, it was decided to disable a number of systems to prevent the further spread of malware.

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The Wichita Department of Information Technology and security professionals continue to work around the clock to address the effects of the cyber incident. Many urban systems don't work. Experts are trying to determine the source and scale of the attack. The timing of the resumption of service performance remains uncertain, the authorities said in a statement.

Numerous Wichita services suffered as a result of the attack. Thus, information boards and a public Wi-Fi network do not work in the terminal of the local airport, although flights are operated as usual. In many places, the ability to pay with bank cards or through online services is disabled - only cash is accepted. Emergency services continue to respond to calls, taking measures to ensure uninterrupted operation. Federal law enforcement agencies and various departments are involved in responding to the incident. Systems will be restored in stages to "minimize failures."^[1]

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