Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency after ransomware hackers crippled computer networks across multiple government agencies, including the Mi

Costa Rica declares state of emergency over ransomware attack

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2022-05-11 23:00:05

Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency after ransomware hackers crippled computer networks across multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance.

The official declaration, published to a government website Wednesday, called the attack “unprecedented in the country” and said that it interrupted the country’s tax collection and exposed citizens’ personal information.

The hackers initially broke into the country’s Ministry of Finance on April 12, it said. They were able to spread to other agencies, including the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications and National Meteorological Institute.

Leon Weinstok, the director of the law firm BLP’s Costa Rica office, who specializes in cybersecurity law, said that the attack had severely impacted the country’s ability to function.

Ransomware hackers encrypt victims’ computer networks and demand payment that they say will unlock them, though that process doesn’t always work. Costa Rica never considered paying the fine, as it goes against national laws to participate in such negotiations, Weinstok said.