Law enforcement agencies in Scotland still have enough on their plates after malicious actors suspected to be hackers are still in control of their servers. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency was thrown into confusion weeks ago as the malicious actors took over their server in what will be termed a ransomware attack.
Not quite long after the attack, the hackers gave them a lifeline to provide them with what they asked or risk several files going out into the public, something that the SEPA failed to do. With the SEPA not moving forward with the ransom fee’s payment, the hackers went ahead to release key files belonging to the agency to the general public.
Hackers already released files worth up to 1.28GB
In a statement that as issued by the agency, the hackers are now at the maximum of their patience and are now living forward with their plan to go ahead with their initial blackmail. According to recent events, the agency was attacked a day before Christmas as the hackers were able to infiltrate and steal several data amounting to up to 1.28 GB. Along with several stolen data were details of workers’ identities in the agency and information like their addresses and other things now compromised.
After the attack, the agency’s platform no longer functioned like it used to, but the firm issued out a memo stating that it could still carry out some of its functions. However, most of its services have been compromised and affected by the attack, save for flood forecasting and warning services.
SEPA has also confirmed that it might be a short while before they can wrestle back the control of their servers from the malicious actors, and when they do, things will kick back to life. It is now a month after the first attack took place, the agency has not still made headway with how to take back control of its servers from the hackers and kick its services back to life.
SEPA chief says they won’t negotiate with hackers
Even as the agency continues in its bid to fix its servers and kick its services back online, it is yet to reveal the type of ransomware that it was attacked with. Coming to the fire front of the whole issue, the Conti gang was very expressive in claiming responsibility for the Scottish Environmental protection Agency servers’ attack.
Giving their latest statement on the update of the issue, SEPA announced that about 1,000 files had been published on several platforms online to force their hand to give in to the hackers’ request.
Despite this, they are unmoved in meeting the hackers’ demands as the Chief of the agency has noted that they will not negotiate with the hackers more or less pay them with funds that belong to the states. This latest ransomware attack has not only showed how weak the security on most platforms is, but it has also shown the need to educate people on basic security issues and beefing up security on respective platforms.