No clues about Apex ransomware attack

APEX, NC – Top officials said Thursday that the hack that took the city’s network offline was an attempted ransomware attack, but the city has not yet received any demands.

“Further information about the cybercriminals, including their demands, is unknown at this time. In accordance with North Carolina law, the City of Apex has not communicated, negotiated, or made any payments to those responsible for this incident, and will not do so,” city spokeswoman Stacie Galloway said in an update.

Since July 2, residents have no longer been able to pay bills or apply for permits electronically.

Emergency services like 911 remained online. “At no point did life-saving services cease operations,” Galloway said.

The city has not provided any information as to whether personal data of residents or employees is at risk.

Former FBI agents say the collection of identification and billing data leaves local communities vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“If you look at the five areas where bad guys search the most, it’s the communities for a number of reasons,” said Darren Mott, a retired FBI agent.

“They have limited resources – the cybersecurity workforce is already limited,” Mott said. “People in the cybersecurity world are having a lot of trouble finding people to do cybersecurity jobs.”

Mott said it was likely that cybercriminals had gained access to personal information.

“They probably stole a lot of information from the city’s database, such as personal information,” Mott said.

Perrin Reid, a resident of Apex, is aware: “Any type of information you have online in electronic form is vulnerable.”

Police Chief Jason Armstrong said staff had to do their work manually due to a cybersecurity incident in the city.

Galloway said, “The City of Apex government remains operational during normal hours, but at reduced capacity, while we continue to investigate this case and work to bring systems back online as quickly and safely as possible.”

Residents can access billing and permitting services by phone or in person at City Hall.