If asked, most can probably think of a recent cyber attack. Sony, Equifax, and Yahoo might come to mind. Over the past ten days however, one group of cybercriminals has gone after an even more ambitious target – the entire city of Atlanta, Georgia. Last week, a massive ransomware attack struck, crippling many of the municipal government’s systems unless the hackers were paid $51,000 in bitcoin.
Atlanta officials lost access to files, emails, and other crucial data needed to perform their duties. Instead, many reverted back to doing all their work on paper. The New York Times has labelled this “one of the most sustained and consequential cyberattacks ever mounted against a major American city.” The FBI is currently investigating and, as of writing, the city’s networks are now slowly recovering from the attack.
The Atlanta attack proves the continued vulnerability of our e-infrastructure. The Boston Global Forum has published the Ethics Code of Conduct for Cyber Peace and Security, which provides recommendations and guidelines for secure and responsible online behavior. Following this code will provide greater cyber security for everyone.
