Akron declares that the cyber attack forced the closure of the city's assistance line

Officials said that a cyberattack motivated by financial reasons on computer servers had forced an Ohio city to shut down its 311 call center to get ready for a storm out. of snow.

Akron Beacon Journal reports that a spokesman for the city of Akron said the attack included a ransomware software requiring thousands of dollars. Ransomware is malicious software that threatens to publish data to a target or block its access.

Mayor Dan Horrigan said at a press conference Friday that the city had learned of the attack on Tuesday and that it was also targeting "critical" hardware and software systems.

The FBI and the Ohio State Highway Patrol joined the Akron investigation into the attack. Governor Mike DeWine on Friday approved Horrigan's request for public badistance and activated eight cyber security experts from the Cybernetic Team of the National Guard of Ohio.