"Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Works and Transport Crippled by Ransomware Attack"
The Costa Rican government has experienced another ransomware attack just months after many of its departments were disrupted by hackers deploying the Conti ransomware in a widespread attack. Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) stated that 12 of its servers were encrypted in the recent attack. Cybersecurity researchers from the National Security Directorate and the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications were brought in to address the situation, and all of MOPT's computer systems were rendered inoperable. Driving tests continue to be administered in person, and while license issuance services were briefly halted, they have been resumed. Services typically provided virtually for Traffic Engineering and Public Works, as well as for navigation and maritime safety, will be provided in person until the situation is resolved. Several additional agencies also cut their connections to MOPT in an effort to control the attack or reported that the attack had limited their services. This article continues to discuss the impact of the recent ransomware attack on Costa Rica's MOPT and the Conti ransomware attack faced by the country in 2022.