• Press Releases
    • Submit a press release
    • Read All
  • Contact us
Advertise
Bitcoinist.com
Join Lightchain AI
No Result
View All Result
👆 BUY LIGHTCHAIN HERE 👆
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
        • Ethereum Casinos
        • Solana Casinos
        • LiteCoin Casinos
        • DogeCoin Casinos
        • Live Crypto Casinos
        • New Casinos
        • Instant Withdrawal Casinos
        • Cash App Casinos
        • No KYC Casinos
        • VPN Casinos
        • Offshore Casinos
          • Crypto Casinos IT
          • Crypto Casinos ES
            • All Guides
          • Crypto Casinos JP
          • Crypto Casinos SG
          • Crypto Casinos MY
          • Crypto Casinos KR
          • No GAMSTOP Casinos in UK
          • No Cruks Casinos NL
      • Crypto Betting
        • No ID sportsbooks
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
        • Aviator Sites
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Breaking News: Ripple And SEC Reach Major Deal: Remaining $75M Penalty Returned, Injunction Lifted
👆 BUY LIGHTCHAIN HERE 👆
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
        • Ethereum Casinos
        • Solana Casinos
        • LiteCoin Casinos
        • DogeCoin Casinos
        • Live Crypto Casinos
        • New Casinos
        • Instant Withdrawal Casinos
        • Cash App Casinos
        • No KYC Casinos
        • VPN Casinos
        • Offshore Casinos
          • Crypto Casinos IT
          • Crypto Casinos ES
            • All Guides
          • Crypto Casinos JP
          • Crypto Casinos SG
          • Crypto Casinos MY
          • Crypto Casinos KR
          • No GAMSTOP Casinos in UK
          • No Cruks Casinos NL
      • Crypto Betting
        • No ID sportsbooks
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
        • Aviator Sites
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Bitcoinist.com
No Result
View All Result
Breaking News: Ripple And SEC Reach Major Deal: Remaining $75M Penalty Returned, Injunction Lifted
Atlanta's night skyline.

Why Atlanta’s $50k Ransomware Threat Turned into a $2.6 million Cybersecurity Upgrade

Nikita Blows
by Nikita Blows
7 years ago
·
Posted in Bitcoin, News, News teaser, Technology
Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

March this year saw the US city of Atlanta faced with a ransomware attack. Even though the hackers didn’t get away with their $50k in bitcoins, the city did pay over $2.6 million to ensure that they won’t be vulnerable to a similar threat again.


As we move towards a paperless society, governments rely more and more on online systems to make processes easier for themselves and the rest of the citizens.

Cryptocurrencies are another core part of going digital and while last year saw a decided increase in their popularity, it also saw an increase in scams and ransomware attacks.

Atlanta Systems Under Threat

This concerning trend carried into 2018 and saw the US city of Atlanta experience a ransomware attack. The government’s computer system was infected with malware before the hackers requested payment of approximately $50,000 worth of bitcoins.

However, according to Wired, before the city could even think about paying or not, the hackers removed the payment portal. This resulted in the city having to fix the hack themselves, and that’s where the real money comes in.

Costly Fixes and Upgrades

Between the 22nd of March and the 2nd of April, the city spent $2,667,328 on unblocking their systems. This included hiring digital forensics specialists and Microsoft Cloud experts. A total of $600,000 went to Ernst & Young for incident response fees and another $50,000 went to Edelman, a crisis communications firm.

Compared to the initial ransom request, this amount spent seems exorbitant. However, Chris Duvall believes that the amount is actually reasonable. Duvall is the senior director of The Chertoff Group, a company specializing in risk management. He explained:

“What Atlanta paid is maybe not a bargain, but I think they probably did pretty well. We had a private sector client, a relatively small company that was about $60 million in revenue, they ended up paying about $3.1 million after a ransomware attack, because they had all the incident response, plus insurance claims, privacy monitoring, and contractual hits for missed services. It can be very expensive, and defense is not an easy thing.”

We Do Not Negotiate with Hackers

Dave Chronister, founder of corporate and government defense firm Parameter Security, believes that payment should not be an option:

It may be a Pollyanna belief, but you’re only feeding the problem if you pay. It only works if people are actually paying it, and instead that money could go a long way to actually fixing your stuff beforehand.

Even though the US government does not recommend paying requested ransoms, they are aware that each case is different. In the case of Atlanta, the malware was alleged to have infected the law enforcement’s records system as well as revenue collection services.

One the one hand, paying the ransom would have been less than the eventual amount spent, but it would not have guaranteed that the hackers would hold up their end of the bargain.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Prevention is Better Than Cure

On the other hand, the preventative measures and enhanced cybersecurity that the $2.6 million bought the city will more than likely leave them thoroughly protected against any future threats.

However, in this case, these measures were more reactive than proactive, the difference between the two equaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jake Williams, who is the founder of Rendition Infosec cybersecurity firm, elaborated:

Emergency support and overtime costs phenomenally more than just handling the issues. In other words, upgrades that might have cost $100k in normal budgeting might cost $300k-plus in emergency spending during an incident.

Defense Against Possible Ransomware Attacks

According to Rendition Infosec, Atlanta’s systems were compromised in April last year, exposing existing threats in their security.

So even though the city paid a substantial amount in response to an emergency situation, their cybersecurity upgrades should now offer a higher level of protection against any future threats.

Do you think the city should have paid the initial ransomware request? If they did, do you think they still would have improved their security? Let us know in the comments below!


Images courtesy of PxHere, Shutterstock, YouTube

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.
ShareTweetShareShare

Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

For updates and exclusive offers enter your email.

I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored.
Nikita Blows

Nikita Blows

Follow

Full Profile

Related Posts

BlackRock

Quantum Threat? BlackRock Flags Future Risk In Bitcoin ETF Filing

2 days ago
Bitcoin

Bitcoin At The Core Of Bhutan’s Tiny Yet Mighty Investment Plan

3 days ago
Bitcoin

From Tokyo With Bitcoin: Metaplanet Tops El Salvador In Crypto Holdings

4 days ago
McGregor

McGregor For President? With Bitcoin In His Corner, Anything’s Possible

5 days ago
Bitcoin

Bitcoin Returns To Consolidation Phase Ahead Of Projected Surge To $106K-$110K Range

5 days ago
Bitcoin

Crypto Analyst Predicts Bitcoin To Hit $200,000 At Cycle Top – Details

5 days ago
Please login to join discussion

Premium Sponsors

Press Releases

  • 粉丝与创作者共赢:SUBBD...

    4 hours ago
  • MEXC Announces Einstein (EIN) Listing in July, 50 Million...

    4 hours ago
  • 比特幣衝擊25萬美元? Tim...

    4 hours ago
  • Bitcoin holders earn high passive income of $33,000 per day...

    7 hours ago
  • XRP Price News: Elon Musk’s Best Investment Advice? Earn...

    7 hours ago

Bitcoin news portal providing breaking news, guides, price analysis about decentralized digital money & blockchain technology.

Join Lightchain AI

Bitcoin

  • News
  • Price
  • Businesses
  • Acceptance
  • Technology
  • Investment
  • Regulation
  • Reviews

Altcoins

  • News
  • Price
  • Ethereum
  • Ripple
  • Litecoin
  • EOS

Categories

  • Blockchain
  • Security
  • FinTech
  • Technology
  • Trending
  • Breaking News
  • Press Releases
  • How to

About Us

  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Bitcoinist.com. All Rights Reserved.
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
      • Crypto Betting
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Advertise

© 2025 Bitcoinist. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Center or Cookie Policy.