Costa Rica chaos a warning that ransomware threat remains

Costa Rica has been reeling from unprecedented ransomware attacks disrupting everyday life in the Central American nation for the last two months. The ransomware gang known as Conti launched the first attack against the Costa Rican government in April and has demanded a US$20mil (RM88.03mil) payout, prompting the newly installed President Chaves Robles (pic) to declare a state of emergency as the tax and customs offices, utilities and other services were taken offline. — AP

WASHINGTON: Teachers unable to get paychecks. Tax and customs systems paralysed. Health officials unable to access medical records or track the spread of Covid-19. A country’s president declaring war against foreign hackers saying they want to overthrow the government.

For two months now, Costa Rica has been reeling from unprecedented ransomware attacks disrupting everyday life in the Central American nation. It’s a situation raising questions about the United States’ role in protecting friendly nations from cyberattacks at a time when Russian-based criminal gangs are targeting less developed countries in ways that could have major global repercussions.