Costa Rica is facing a massive problem now, significantly as ransomware attacks widely affected the country's systems and computer networks in the recent happenings. The vicious access to its infrastructure left several government agencies crippled, including its Finance Ministry, with the country already declaring a "State of Emergency."
Costa Rica Declares State of Emergency Due to Ransomware
(Photo : EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Costa Rica's new President Rodrigo Chaves gestures after receiving the presidential sash during his inauguration ceremony in San Jose, on May 8, 2022.
NBC News reported that Costa Rica and its recently appointed president, Rodrigo Chaves, have declared a state of emergency in the country following the ransomware attack on its network. The attack was extensive, and the country was severely affected by this, especially as it started the transition to the new government.
Costa Rica's Justice Department also released a report regarding the attack, saying that it was a massive one against the country, effectively crippling its systems and many branches. The attack started last April 12 when the hackers got inside the Finance Ministry, which was not immediately detected by its systems.
Then, the threat actors proceeded to steal data that it would use for its ransom claims against the nation.
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Ransomware Attack on Costa Rica is Extensive
The ransomware attack on Costa Rica is extensive, and the Latin American country is now looking into the many possible options it can take to counteract this breach. For now, the country is looking into the Conti ransomware group, which recently posted the files that it claims to be from the Costa Rican government, allegedly the legitimate information regarding the country.
Ransomware and its Dangers
Ransomware gangs primarily focus on individual companies and corporations that do not have ties to the government, but what it did to Costa Rica is an extensive one that severely affected the nation. Many groups have already improved their ransomware attacks in the past, with FIN12 being one of the most notorious now.
However, most of them focus on a massive scale of attacks, and names like Conti are some that have tremendous capabilities to launch these breaches to corporations. Conti reportedly has an HR department that runs within its group, and it only means that ransomware gangs are employing massively for their future vendetta.
One of the many suspects in this attack is Conti, and the group published several ties of alleged Costa Rican documents online. The goals of this ransomware are not yet publicly known. Still, the newly appointed president of Costa Rica is working closely with members and experts to pinpoint this attack and hold these people accountable.
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Written by Isaiah Richard
