How hackers are holding cities to ransom

Cyber security has dominated the headlines in the US. From CIA claims that Russia meddled in the US presidential election in Donald Trump’s favour to the release of thousands of FBI agents’ names, Jonathan Andrews explains how cyber criminals are now increasingly turning their attention to cities

In November last year 900 office computers at the San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency suddenly flashed with the message, ‘You hacked, ALL data encrypted’. The ransomware hacker demanded 100 Bitcoins, or around US$73,000 for the screens and data to be ‘unlocked’.

Although the malware encrypted mainly office computers, the agency took the precaution of opening fare gates on its light rail ...