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This article was published on October 4, 2019

Ransomware attack hits Spanish city demanding undisclosed amount of Bitcoin

Jerez de la Frontera has been under siege since Tuesday


Ransomware attack hits Spanish city demanding undisclosed amount of Bitcoin

A hacker is holding computer systems belonging to the southern Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera, demanding a Bitcoin ransom to unlock them, RFI reports.

The ransomware attack, which reportedly began on Tuesday night, has already caused service outages for the city’s website.

There’s currently no indication of the amount of Bitcoin the hacker is demanding.

AFP notes that Spain’s interior ministry has sent three computer experts to the city, the home of sherry, to help resolve the situation.

The city’s mayor indicated that the site would only be brought back online when its confirmed to be 100-percent secure.

This situation comes just days after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation shared a public service announcement regarding the increasing severity of ransomware attacks on businesses and organizations.

As well, last month saw Texas refuse to bow to ransomware demands. Officials revealed they had successfully recovered more than half of the systems that had been locked in a similar attack without paying a Satoshi.

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