(Bloomberg) -- The New Jersey city of Hoboken said it suspended some services after it was the victim of a ransomware attack.
Online city services and street sweeping have been suspended, and municipal court will be closed Wednesday, Hoboken officials said.
“The hack is unfortunately real,” said Jason Freeman, business administrator for the city across the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan. The Hoboken Police Department is investigating the cyberattack and officials haven’t determined when all services will be restored, he said.
Criminal hacking gangs often deploy ransomware as a way to extort money from victims. Ransomware is a type of malicious code that encrypts computers, with the hackers then demanding a payment to unlock them. Oftentimes, hacking groups also steal data from victims and threaten to publish them unless they are paid.
Government agencies have become a frequent target of hacking groups, with Baltimore, Dallas and Oakland among those that have been hit.
--With assistance from Nacha Cattan.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
