Swedish municipalities freeze 1.5 BTC due to cyberattack targeting IT systems provider Miljödata

ChainCatcher news, according to Protos, Swedish municipal governments have frozen 1.5 BTC (approximately $170,000) due to a cyberattack. The attack targeted Swedish IT systems provider Miljödata with ransomware, with hackers demanding a ransom in exchange for not leaking sensitive information. National broadcaster STV reported that the attack was discovered on Saturday, but efforts to assess the scope of the impact have been hampered because the affected computers were heavily encrypted.

In this incident, 80% of Swedish cities rely on Miljödata, and it is expected that a total of 200 municipal and regional services are unavailable. Affected institutions include educational organizations and some private entities. Swedish Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin emphasized the importance of cybersecurity and indicated that a new cybersecurity bill would be drafted to raise security requirements for organizations.