A hacker has taken over the computer system of the southern Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera and is demanding a ransom paid in bitcoin to unlock it, local officials said Friday.

The cyber attack, which has caused outages of services offered through the city's website, began on Tuesday night, a municipal spokesman told AFP.

The hacker behind the attack is demanding a payment in bitcoin to restore the computer system, he added, without saying how much is being asked for.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have long been a favourite ransom tender for cyber criminals thanks to the currencies' anonymous nature.

Spain's interior ministry has sent three computer experts to Jerez de la Frontera, a city of some 212,000 residents which is the home of sherry, to help the municipality resolve the cyber attack, the city's authorities said in a statement.

Its Socialist mayor, Mamem Sanchez, said the municipal website would only be back up and running when it is "100 percent secure".

While law enforcement and security experts say it is unwise to pay hackers, many organisations end up accepting ransom demands which often cost less than rebuilding computer systems.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

US warns Italy over China and 5G
Rome (AFP) Oct 2, 2019
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Italy Wednesday of China's "predatory approach" to trade and investment, but Rome insisted its special powers over 5G supply deals would protect it. "China has a predatory approach in trade and investment" and represents a "mutual threat" to the two countries, Pompeo said during a joint press conference with Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. "When the Chinese Communist party shows up to make an investment to gain political power or threaten a nation ... read more