Baltimore City’s computer network has been a victim of a ransomware attack dubbed “RobbinHood” that has taken data for hostage and knocked out city services.
In a tweet sent out by Mayor Jack Young confirmed the cyberattack on Tuesday:
“At this time, we have seen no evidence that any personal data has left the system. Out of an abundance of precaution, the city has shut down the majority of its servers. We will provide updates as information becomes available.”
Local TV station, WBAL, reported that local police, fire and emergency services had been working all day Wednesday to resolve the ransomware attack. The malware also knocked out several city services, such as city’s employees’ emails, phone lines and online bill payments. As of Wednesday, the phone system was back online.
This is the second time in as many years, the city has fallen victim to cyberattacks. The previous attack on March 2018 temporarily took down Baltimore’s 911 emergency system.
Although nothing has been confirmed by city officials, some cybersecurity experts told news outlets the ransom could be close to $100,000 to restore encrypted data.