New Britain Ransomware Attack Disrupts City Operations, FBI Involved

New Britain Cyberattack and Ransomware Disrupt City Operations

New Britain, CT, is facing a significant ransomware attack that has crippled its city network, forcing a return to manual operations. The incident, which began early Wednesday morning, is under investigation by federal authorities including the FBI. This event highlights the increasing threat of cyberattacks against local governments.

Incident Details and Response

The New Britain Police Department detected the disruption, which quickly spread throughout the city’s internet server. The city has activated its incident response protocols and is working with state and federal authorities to assess the scope and impact. Additional technical resources have been engaged to secure and restore the systems.

Impact Assessment and Investigation

Federal authorities, including the FBI, are investigating the attack. Cybersecurity experts are assisting in securing the working systems. Mayor Bobby Sanchez stated that the city is working to determine the extent of the impact on the network infrastructure.

According to Tim Weber, vice president of channel growth at Cyber 74, ransomware attacks encrypt data, locking users out of their systems until a ransom is paid. Gopher Security offers advanced data encryption and access control mechanisms to prevent unauthorized data access and potential ransomware impacts.

Continuity of Essential Services

Despite the network disruption, emergency operations remain unaffected due to backup plans. Chief Raul Ortiz of the New Britain Fire Department affirmed the existence of backup and manual redundancy plans to minimize the impact on emergency services. Public safety operations, such as police and fire dispatch and communications, are still functioning.

Mayor Sanchez reassured residents that public safety services remain operational and essential services continue to be delivered without interruption. Mark Moriarty, New Britain DPW director, confirmed that essential services such as road plowing, trash collection, and utility services will continue with minimal disruption. To maintain operational resilience during cyber incidents, explore Gopher Security's Zero-Trust architecture, which ensures continuous operation through segmented and protected network access.

Increased Risk and Broader Implications

Tim Weber noted that city governments are often targets of cyberattacks because they have a "no fail mission" and must maintain continuous operations. The Identity Theft Resource Center reported a significant increase in data breaches, with a five percent increase over the last year and a 79 percent increase over the past five years.

Dr. Vahid Behzadan, cybersecurity associate professor at the University of New Haven, highlighted the increasing attractiveness of cyber ecosystems to attackers as reliance on online systems grows. Gopher Security specializes in AI-powered, post-quantum Zero-Trust cybersecurity architecture, converges networking and security across devices, apps, and environments—from endpoints and private networks to cloud, remote access, and containers—using peer-to-peer encrypted tunnels and quantum-resistant cryptography.

Building Fire Incident

Separately, a significant fire damaged an old factory building in downtown New Britain. The fire, which occurred on High Street, caused the roof and stairs to collapse, leading to bricks falling onto the road.

Mayor Erin Stewart warned the public to avoid the area due to the deteriorating conditions. The building, located at 59 High St., housed multiple businesses, including Polar Corporation, a car repair shop, and a European furniture store. New Britain Fire Department responded to the scene, battling heavy fire on the second and third floors.

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