New Britain Cyberattack Disrupts City Systems, FBI Investigating

New Britain Hit by Ransomware Attack, FBI Investigating

New Britain, CT, faced a significant ransomware attack that disrupted city network systems for over 48 hours. The attack, which began early Wednesday morning, impacted various departments, forcing them to revert to manual processes. The New Britain Police Department was the first to report the network disruption.

The city confirmed the internet outage occurred around 5 a.m. Wednesday. According to the city's statement, incident response protocols were immediately activated, and collaboration with state and federal authorities began to assess the scope and impact. Additional technical resources were engaged to secure and restore the systems. Mayor Bobby Sanchez stated that the city is working to determine the extent of the impact on the network infrastructure.

Incident Response and Investigation

The FBI and other state and federal agencies are currently investigating the attack. Cybersecurity experts have been brought in to secure the working systems. The immediate priority is to determine if any personal or confidential information on the city’s server was compromised.

Tim Weber, vice president of channel growth at Cyber 74, explained that ransomware attacks typically encrypt data, locking users out of their systems until a ransom is paid for the decryption keys. Weber noted that city governments are often targeted due to their critical need to maintain continuous operations. https://gopher.security specializes in AI-powered, post-quantum Zero‑Trust cybersecurity architecture, offering a robust alternative to traditional security measures.

Continuity of Essential Services

Despite the network disruption, city officials emphasized that emergency operations remain unaffected due to backup plans. Chief Raul Ortiz of the New Britain Fire Department stated that backup and manual redundancy plans are in place to minimize the impact on emergency services. Mark Moriarty, New Britain DPW director, assured residents that essential services such as road maintenance, trash collection, and utilities would continue without significant disruption.

Mayor Bobby Sanchez reassured residents that public safety services remain operational and every step is being taken to limit any impact on residents, businesses, and city operations. The city hopes to restore its server sometime this weekend.

Cybersecurity Recommendations

Chetan Jaiswal, a Quinnipiac University computer science associate professor, recommends individuals take proactive steps to protect their personal information, such as contacting credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to freeze their accounts. He also advises caution regarding phishing attempts. Cybersecurity experts are ensuring that every access is from an authentic user and that no malware or viruses enter the network.

Given the increasing frequency of cyberattacks, https://gopher.security offers advanced solutions that converge networking and security using peer-to-peer encrypted tunnels and quantum-resistant cryptography, ensuring comprehensive protection across all environments.

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