"Costa Rica State of Emergency Declared After Ransomware Attacks"

Costa Rica declared a state of emergency in late April, following weeks of major ransomware attacks. This measure, usually reserved for dealing with natural disasters, was taken by newly-elected President Rodrigo Chaves to free up the government to respond more decisively to the incident. The Conti gang, based in Russia, claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, the US Department of State offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone with a key leadership role in the Conti gang. The US also offered $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual in any country who was involved in or attempted to participate in a Conti variant ransomware incident. Chaves declared his country was "at war" with the attackers, which could not be far off. Conti reportedly urged Costa Ricans to put pressure on their government to pay a $20 million ransom in a message posted to its darknet blog. Conti warned in another post that it was determined to overthrow the government through a cyberattack. Costa Rica's government refused to pay the ransom and scrambled to restore systems and services. The Costa Rican Treasury informed civil servants that the attack had brought automatic payment services to a halt. Workers were warned that the government would not be able to pay them on time, instead applying for their jobs via email or on paper. The attack also had an impact on the country's foreign trade, disrupting its tax and customs systems, as well as causing import and export logistics to fail. This article continues to discuss the impact of the ransomware attacks on Costa Rica, the Conti gang claiming responsibility for the attacks, and how the Costa Rica government responded. 

Security Intelligence reports "Costa Rica State of Emergency Declared After Ransomware Attacks"