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Ransomware attack hits Virginia Legislature



“Governor Northam has been briefed on a ransomware attack on the Legislative Branch’s Automated Systems Division and has directed the relevant Executive Branch agencies to work expeditiously to bring down the provide any assistance in assessing and responding to this unfolding situation,” Alena Yarmosky, the governor’s press secretary, said in a statement.

The Division of Legislative Automated Systems (DLAS) is the IT arm of the Virginia General Assembly. According to the organization’s website, the General Assembly relies on DLAS for its network infrastructure, desktop, and print services.

A Virginia state official said DLAS has shut down many of its computer servers in an effort to prevent the spread of ransomware.

Ransomware is already a thorn of state and local government for many years. A 2019 ransomware incident disrupted services in Baltimore for weeks costing the city an estimated $18 million in damages.

More broadly, the attacks are carried out by a wide range of actors, from criminal gangs to people believed to work at least with ties to their home governments.

Occasionally, international law enforcement can coordinate and arrest ransomware attackers. But just as often, when U.S. authorities are able to identify and charge someone they believe is responsible for an attack, they are already out of reach in countries that cannot lead the way. their arrival in the United States.

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