Hack disrupted Baltimore 911 dispatch system for 17 hours, mayor says
The city of Baltimore says part of its 911 dispatch system was hacked over the weekend by an unknown actor. The breach lasted 17 hours. Mayor Catherine Pugh's office says the system supports 911 and 311 emergency systems.
The mayor's office emphasized that the incident was a "limited breach" and that critical services were not impacted or disrupted. The breach forced details from incoming callers seeking emergency support to be relayed manually, instead of electronically. Technicians were able to isolate the affected server and now the systems have been fully restored.
The FBI said it is aware of the incident and assisting local officials with the investigation.
The breach comes on the heels of Thursday's ransomware attack in Atlanta, where, after six days, the government finally told employees to turn their computers back on. However, many city employees are still without access to the email or internet.
Ransomware has become a growing problem as hackers target government services, schools and hospitals.
