Majorca city Calvià extorted for $11M in ransomware attack

Majorca city Calvià extorted for $11M in ransomware attack

January 16, 2024 at 01:52PM

Calvià City Council in Majorca was hit by a ransomware attack, affecting municipal services. With a population of 50,000 and a major tourism destination, it formed a crisis committee to assess the damage. IT specialists are conducting forensic analysis while administrative deadlines have been suspended till Jan 31, 2024. The attackers demanded a €10,000,000 ransom, but the mayor refused to pay.

Key Takeaways from Meeting Notes:

1. The Calvià City Council in Majorca was targeted by a ransomware attack, causing significant impact on municipal services.
2. Calvià is a historic town on the Spanish island of Majorca with a population of 50,000 and is a major tourism hotspot, with an estimated 1.6 million visits annually.
3. As a response to the cyberattack, the council has formed a crisis committee to assess the damage and create plans for mitigating the impact.
4. IT specialists are conducting forensic analysis to determine the extent of unauthorized access and recover the affected systems and services.
5. The cyberattack has resulted in IT outages leading to the suspension of administrative deadlines until January 31, 2024.
6. The City has informed the police’s cybercrime department about the incident and filed necessary complaints, while also maintaining communication through phone and face-to-face channels.
7. The ransom demanded by the cybercriminals is €10,000,000, approximately $11M, but the mayor has stated that the municipality will not pay the ransom under any circumstances.
8. It is noted that ransomware attacks pose a significant risk to entities of all sizes, emphasizing the growing concerns in the digital landscape and the potential severe disruptions to daily operations and public services.

These clear takeaways capture the essential information from the meeting notes regarding the ransomware attack on the Calvià City Council in Majorca.

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