Ransomware attack disrupts Tennessee city

Officials at the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, noted that the city had its technology systems impacted by a ransomware attack, resulting in network issues, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. "The City and its Information Systems Department (IS) are working with law enforcement to investigate as well as technical specialists experienced in cyber recovery services to restore services as quickly as possible," said city officials. Such an incident makes Oak Ridge the 18th local government across the U.S. to be impacted by ransomware so far this year, said Emsisoft ransomware expert Brett Callow. The attack also comes only two weeks after Tennessee State University confirmed having its IT systems disrupted by a ransomware attack. Meanwhile, a report from FBI's Memphis office last year noted that significantly increased prevalence of ransomware attacks are being targeted at healthcare providers, schools, small businesses, and manufacturing organizations.