When Keizer, Oregon was attacked in June with ransomware, the attackers demanded $48,000, and the city paid.
Now Keizer Times reports that the costs of recovering city data and preventing future digital strikes have already exceeded $60,000. Among the costs, which will be detailed more at a later date:
— To handle negotiations with the hacker, the city contracted with New York-based Arete Advisors. Arete provided negotiation services, is conducting a forensic analysis and installed a new virus scanner to determine whether additional viruses or malware are present in the city’s network. The cost for those services was $36,230.
… Arete also sold the city a new virus protection program, SentinelOne to protect against future attacks. The cost is $12,418 for a 36-month subscription and the program covers 160 computers.
…. between $10,000 and $15,000 to Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Lewis, a Portland-based law firm, for legal assistance in facilitating the forensic investigation and assessing consumer and regulatory notification obligations.
The cost of the actual ransom itself and a transaction fee was covered by cyberinsurance.