Jerez de la Frontera, a city located in southern Spain, is under siege by an enterprising hacker. The city’s computer system has been taken over by the crook, who now seeks bitcoin as a ransom to restore the system. The cyberattack has caused disruptions in the services rendered through the city’s official website.
City officials have not publicly revealed the amount of bitcoins desired by the scammer. Spain’s interior ministry has sent three computer experts to help the municipality solve the cybercrime of the city. Mamem Sanchez, the socialist mayor, has assured the re-working of the website will only begin when it is 100% secure.
Cryptocurrencies have been a favorable asset for criminals despite their transparency. While the experts claim it unwise to pay the hackers, many organizations end up accepting the ransom demands.
