What caused a shutdown of the Joplin city government’s computer system in early July was indeed a ransomware hit, according to a city statement issued Thursday.
An insurer has paid $320,000, to someone not identified, to keep any sensitive information obtained as a result of the cyberattack from being exposed, said City Manager Nick Edwards in the statement.
An investigation into who was responsible for the attack is still underway. Systems that were shut down by the attacker included computer servers and programs that operated the city’s online services. The city’s internet-based telephone system also was interrupted but was restored two days after the attack.
Third-party cybersecurity firms were hired to recover the city’s information technology systems.
