- The state of Nevada says that he suffered “network security incident”
- While it is not officially described as a cyber attack, it certainly resembles a ransomware attack
- There is still no evidence of stolen files
The offices, the websites and the telephone lines of the state government of Nevada were left without being available and disconnected after an apparent cyber attack.
The official X account of the Press office of Governor Lombardo published an announcement saying that the state of Nevada “identified a network security incident.”
At the time this article was written, the website was still offline, showing a single message, saying that “the requested URL was rejected. Consult with its administrator.”
Was this a ransomware attack?
“As the State continues its recovery efforts, the network security incident continues to affect the availability of certain state technology systems in the state network,” adds the announcement. “Some state websites or telephone lines may be slow or not be available briefly during recovery.”
The way in which the announcement is written does not suggest that it was a cyber attack, however, with multiple off -line services, an ongoing investigation and the state that seeks to restore services one by one, everything carries the brands of a ransomware attack.
Ransomware attacks also generally include data theft, with criminals that exfilt confidential files to be used as leverage in case the victim can restore their services through backups.
In this case, however, Nevada says that there is currently no evidence that any personal identification information (PII) was compromised.
At the time of publication, no threat actor assumed the responsibility of the attack, but the ransomware against the state and local governments of the United States has been carried out historically by criminal groups financially motivated instead of actors sponsored by the State.
Some of the best -known ransomware gangs that have addressed the United States government entities include Lockbit, Blackcat/Alphv, Cl0p, Royal and Vice Society.
According to a PakGazette Report, the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency also issued a statement, claiming that it was “actively tracking this network security incident and, together with our partners, we are collaborating with the state of Nevada to offer our assistance.”
