Gary Rebuilding City Servers Following Ransomware Attack

GARY, Ind. (AP) — A cybersecurity company is helping the city of Gary rebuild its servers after hackers recently targeted several of them in a ransomware attack, a city spokesman said.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security were notified about the attack, Gary spokesman Michael Gonzalez said Wednesday. He declined to disclose when the attack was identified or which city departments were affected, citing an ongoing investigation.

Gonzalez also declined to say whether the northwest Indiana city paid a ransom following the ransomware attack, in which hackers lock up computer data and demand ransom payments in order to give it back.

Investigators have not yet determined if anyone’s personal information was compromised, but if that is the case Gonzalez said the city will offer those individuals “credit monitoring and any other assistance we can.”

He said city employees have faced challenges although not all city departments were affected by the attack, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

“We’ve been doing the best we can,” he said. “Now that we’re going through the restoration process, we’re seeing things are getting better.”

A cybersecurity company is helping with the investigation and to restore the city’s servers, he said. The city is still assessing the costs associated with the attack, including restoration-related expenses.