Costa Rica declares state of emergency due to ‘unprecedented’ ransomware attack
The government of Costa Rica declared a state of emergency after ransomware hackers crippled computer networks across multiple government agencies, including the Finance Ministry.
The official declaration said that the unprecedented attack interrupted the country’s tax collection and exposed citizens’ personal information.
The hackers initially broke into the Finance Ministry on April 12. They were able to spread to other agencies, including the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications and the National Meteorological Institute.
BLP Legal Costa Rica Director Leon Weinstok said that the cyberattack severely affected the country’s functions. He added that it would be impossible to quantify the losses currently.
Conti, one of the most destructive active ransomware gangs, is responsible for the attack. Last Sunday, the group published a large cache of documents, alleged to be from Costa Rican government sites, to its dark web site.
Costa Rica never considered paying the ransom that Conti asked for as it goes against national laws.
Weinstok noted that the emergency declaration gives President Rodrigo Chaves the authority to hire external cybersecurity experts without waiting for permission from the country’s legislative assembly.
